By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
Attorney Judd Burstein has had a seven-year working relationship with WBA welterweight (147 pounds) champion Shane Mosley, but the outspoken lawyer's been involved in associations with a number of other big names in the boxing game over the years.
The 56-year-old Burstein has taken on cases for Manny Pacquiao, Oscar de la Hoya, Lennox Lewis, Francois Botha and Terry Norris -- the last three against promoter Don King, whom Burstein later represented as well.
Burstein is also the lawyer for Golden Boy Promotions' CEO Richard Schaefer against Pacquiao in the latter's defamation of character suit, which names as defendants Schaefer, de la Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Sr., and Roger Mayweather, the latter of whom is the trainer for boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Burstein, who is representing Mosley in the boxer's libel and defamation of character suit against BALCO founder Victor Conte, addressed his varying roles and experiences in the sport with FanHouse in this Q&A -- the first of an occasional series.
FanHouse: List some big name boxers you've represented and against whom?
Judd Burstein: I started out representing Terry Norris against Don King in 1997. That was my first really big boxing case, and it had to do with getting Norris out of a fight against Felix Trinidad so that he could potentially fight Oscar de la Hoya.
But the problem ended up being that Terry lost the next fight after I represented him. I then represented Francois Botha and got him out of his contract with Don King, and that was maybe in 1998. The next major event was in 2001, where I received a call from Lennox Lewis' people about representing him.
What was the situation with Lennox Lewis?
Lennox had just lost to Hasim Rahman, and on top of it, he was in a dispute with his promoter at the time, Panos Eliadis. Lawyers sometimes have incredible streaks of luck. They can be talented, but they still have great runs. My run was that I tried the case against Rahman and King for Lewis to bar Rahman from refusing to give Lewis the rematch.
And we got the order that barred Rahman from fighting for 18 months unless he first fought Lennox, and, of course, Lennox beat him in the rematch. Then after that, in 2002, I won what was about an $8 million racketeering verdict for Lennox against Panos Eliadis.
There was also a $1 million verdict that I won against Lennox's former lawyer, Milton Chwasky.
You were involved with Lennox Lewis for quite a while, weren't you?
Well, for a while, Lennox had a very weak manager in terms of being a guy who wanted to do the work. So I learned the business because I played such a major role in the Lewis and Mike Tyson fight, the Lewis-Vitali Klitschko fight.
Can you talk more about the Lewis-Tyson fight, which unified HBO, which had Lewis, and Showtime, which had Tyson?
One of the things that people don't know is how Shelly Finkel and I helped to engineer the Lewis-Tyson fight. I went to HBO, and Shelly went to Showtime, and we said, 'We're both going to lose our clients to Don King, who is going to start up a rival network, unless you can bring these two together.'
Don King is the one who was promising things to the fighters, and that's how we got HBO and Showtime to agree to do the joint broadcast.
Can you tell me about the work you were involved in with Manny Pacquiao?
The Manny Pacquiao case was about getting him out from under his contract with Murad Muhammad, and that was in 2005.
Are there any more cases involving Don King?
Another case that was won against Don King was where I represented Julio Cesar Chavez, and basically foiled King's efforts to stop the second De la Hoya-Chavez fight.
And then the other major victory in there against King, which was, I think, in 2003, was the $7.5 million settlement that I got from King in the Terry Norris case. That was a case where King settled after the jury came out after about 20 minutes asking for a magnifying glass and a calculator.
Why did they ask for a magnifying glass and a calculator?
Well, the magnifying glass was because the print on King's contracts was so small, and the calculator was obviously to count up how much money they were going to award to Norris. In 28 years, I've never had that experience.
Ironically, however, you've been the attorney for Don King recently, correct?
I've represented Don King on a couple of things.
How did that arrangement come about?
I laugh about it now, but he's a brilliant guy. King managed to come up with a theory to sue me in England for libel. At the time, it was a landmark case in England. If it had happened today, I would have won.
But the issue was whether an American who exercises his right to an opinion under the First Ammendment, speaking to an American reporter on an American website, can be sued in England merely because someone downloads the article there.
The English courts said that I was subject to the jurisdiction of the English courts, and it was, even with insurance, starting to cost me an incredible amount of money -- I mean, hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
King used that to some degree as leverage to have me come and represent him.
What were the cases you represented him on?
I did some consulting for him, but I only represented him really on only one major case. I represented him in the case against Bernard Hopkins. It was an arbitration. Basically, it was fought to a draw.
King collected some money. But on the other hand, Hopkins' claims were essentially thrown out. So I considered it a draw.
Weren't you also involved in the Bernard Hopkins-Lou DiBella disputes?
Yes, I also tried the Lou DiBella against Bernard Hopkins defamation case, which I won for DiBella. I think that I represented Lou DiBella once in a dispute with Jermain Taylor, and I also represented Diego Corrales.
When did you start working with Shane Mosley?
After Lennox retired, I met Shane. I've stayed active in Shane's career in varying degrees since 2003.
Can you think of any other major fighters you've worked with that we haven't yet named?
I represented Antonio Tarver, and I think that's the only boxing case that I ever lost. I've also recently represented Beibut Shumenov. But since 2007, for the most part, and over the last two years, I had really gotten out of the business.
The only people I have been working for, with the exception of Beibut Shumenov, are Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar de la Hoya, and Shane. Really, I'm a trial lawyer, and the boxing business accounts for nor more than 10 percent of my practice.
What is the rest of your practice?
I'm a trial lawyer, I try every kind of case imaginable. Construction cases, insurance disputes, securities fraud, other kinds of fraud, racketeering, divorce, criminal cases -- you name it.
From my perspective, what a trial lawyer does is -- people may know more about a copyright, for example, but they can't do what I can do in terms of litigating a copyright dispute. People come and hire me for all sorts of things.
Why do you consider yourself a good attorney for an athlete or a boxer to have?
As a general rule, I am not interested in doing the general representation of athletes. For Shane Mosley, I'm happy to do it because I have a seven-year relationship with him. That's not to say that I wouldn't represent anybody if it was the right person coming along.
But it's just that I'm not prepared to do it as a general rule. I much prefer being a litigator. But one of the things that I love about what I do is that I can win a case without initially knowing anything about the subject.
Three years ago, I tried a very detailed construction case which involved poorly installed heating and air conditioning systems. I knew nothing about it. I had to learn it for the trial.
But now, I know nothing about it again, because I'm like a bathtub -- I fill up with knowledge and then it's gone.
Is it the same for you with boxing?
Well, with boxing, if you've done the business work for Lennox Lewis and Shane Mosley, you can sort of do this stuff in your sleep for anybody else.
Can you recall some of the things you have said -- some would call them outrageous things -- in the newspapers about cases or clients?
Well I once said of Don King that, 'He's the cancer, and I'm the chemotherapy.' But the worst one, and, maybe the one that I regret was many years ago, maybe 11 years ago. I wrote a letter to somebody that my client was about to sue threatening to conduct a proctology exam on his finances.
That ended up with my being sanctioned $50,000 by the judge, having a reputation as being a 'Rambo lawyer,' and then, having that decision reversed on appeal.
But I can look back in retrospect and say, 'You know, that was a stupid thing to say,' and I think that I can understand why the judge was upset with me doing it. I don't think that I did anything that warranted a sanction, but it's not the kind of thing that should be in a letter.
Why do you say such outrageous things?
Many times, it's a function of strategic choices that I make. If I can get the other side -- and not the lawyers, because I usually have great relationship with them. But if I can get the other side -- looking so crazy at me, it makes them more prone to make mistakes.
So you're like the Floyd Mayweather or Muhammad Ali of lawyers?
Well, I wouldn't say that.
What is one of your signature or favorite things that you've said or done?
One of my favorite things was in the Terry Norris case against Don King. And the jury was out, but they were coming back in. And as this was going on, I walked by Don King, who was reading the Bible.
I just walked past Don and I leaned over and said, 'Too Late.'
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Lennox Lewis. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Lennox Lewis. Tampilkan semua postingan
Jumat, 23 April 2010
Minggu, 04 April 2010
David Haye gives hope to heavys -- Boston Herald
By Ron Borges, Boston Herald
MANCHESTER, England - David Haye gave boxing’s heavyweight division a blessing on Easter weekend. He gave it the blessing of hope.
The 29-year-old WBA champion may not prove to be the solution to the sorry state of that bankrupt division, but his dominating destruction of two-time champion John Ruiz on Saturday night at soldout MEN Arena at least provided the division something to look forward to.
Despite the rising tide for prize fighting around the world after a long period of decline and then dormancy, the heavyweight division has lagged in the doldrums since the retirement of Lennox Lewis
, the sporting equivalent of endlessly sagging real-estate prices. While the smaller weight classes are again flourishing, the heavyweights have been lightweights for so long one had to wonder if a savior would ever arrive.
The latter comes not only from the justifiable threat of what he can do to another man but also from his somewhat suspect chin. His ability to stay upright when assaulted by boxing’s biggest men remains a question, and with chin questions comes the edge of danger fans salivate over.
Saturday, he sent Ruiz crashing to the canvas twice in the first round with massive right hands, and it seemed unlikely the 38-year-old former champion would survive. Somehow he not only did, but to Haye’s utter amazement, pressured his way back into the fight.
Then - BOOM! - Ruiz was down in the fifth round from another right hand and then - BOOM! - he was down again in the sixth, delivered to the canvas in the same manner. Each time he got up slower than the previous time, his nose bent and bleeding, his face turning a blotchy purple even as he steadfastly continued to come forward trying to make a fight of it.
Haye’s confidence restored, Ruiz had no chance, a fact that began to be dawn on his corner after a bloody seventh round. Ruiz asked for one more chance and his resume said he deserved it. When he survived well enough, they gave him another round and this time Haye finished him off with a fusillade of blows that bent him over the ropes and ended his challenge at 2:01 of the ninth round.
With that concussive ending the heavyweight division was lifted up by a new personality. Former HBO Sports president Seth Abraham always used to say there were two sports of boxing. There was boxing and there was heavyweight boxing, an entity and a business unto itself.
That business has been in a recession bordering on depression since its last glorious days of Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe and Lewis. It has been more than a decade since they were in their heyday and the division has been ceded to a parade of Eastern European-born goliaths like the Klitschko brothers, Nikolai Valuev, Oleg Maskaev, Ruslan Chagaev and a group of American imposters.
The Klitschkos - Vitali and Wladimir - remain the best of what is a sorry lot, two brothers with technical skills and punching power, but little appeal in the U.S. market and an apparent aversion to facing anyone they think might be a danger to them.
Haye appears to be such a man. He is 24-1 with 22 knockouts, and was the former undisputed cruiserweight champ before moving up to heavyweight four fights ago.
Haye has repeatedly challenged the Klitschkos, but they argue he also backed out of agreements to fight them.
Haye admitted his next fight might have to be a Valuev rematch because he had to agree to that to get his title shot, but he quickly added, “Do I prefer that? No. I would like to fight who the people want me to fight.”
rborges@bostonherald.com
Source: news.bostonherald.com
MANCHESTER, England - David Haye gave boxing’s heavyweight division a blessing on Easter weekend. He gave it the blessing of hope.
The 29-year-old WBA champion may not prove to be the solution to the sorry state of that bankrupt division, but his dominating destruction of two-time champion John Ruiz on Saturday night at soldout MEN Arena at least provided the division something to look forward to.
Despite the rising tide for prize fighting around the world after a long period of decline and then dormancy, the heavyweight division has lagged in the doldrums since the retirement of Lennox Lewis, the sporting equivalent of endlessly sagging real-estate prices. While the smaller weight classes are again flourishing, the heavyweights have been lightweights for so long one had to wonder if a savior would ever arrive.Haye may be that guy. If he is, then it will be not only because he possesses tremendous knockout power in his right hand and a willingness to throw it, but that he also has charisma, charm, bombast, unusual athleticism for a big man, a desire to be tested by the heavy metal of the division and an air of calamity that wafts around him.
The latter comes not only from the justifiable threat of what he can do to another man but also from his somewhat suspect chin. His ability to stay upright when assaulted by boxing’s biggest men remains a question, and with chin questions comes the edge of danger fans salivate over.
Saturday, he sent Ruiz crashing to the canvas twice in the first round with massive right hands, and it seemed unlikely the 38-year-old former champion would survive. Somehow he not only did, but to Haye’s utter amazement, pressured his way back into the fight.
Then - BOOM! - Ruiz was down in the fifth round from another right hand and then - BOOM! - he was down again in the sixth, delivered to the canvas in the same manner. Each time he got up slower than the previous time, his nose bent and bleeding, his face turning a blotchy purple even as he steadfastly continued to come forward trying to make a fight of it.
Haye’s confidence restored, Ruiz had no chance, a fact that began to be dawn on his corner after a bloody seventh round. Ruiz asked for one more chance and his resume said he deserved it. When he survived well enough, they gave him another round and this time Haye finished him off with a fusillade of blows that bent him over the ropes and ended his challenge at 2:01 of the ninth round.
With that concussive ending the heavyweight division was lifted up by a new personality. Former HBO Sports president Seth Abraham always used to say there were two sports of boxing. There was boxing and there was heavyweight boxing, an entity and a business unto itself.
That business has been in a recession bordering on depression since its last glorious days of Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe and Lewis. It has been more than a decade since they were in their heyday and the division has been ceded to a parade of Eastern European-born goliaths like the Klitschko brothers, Nikolai Valuev, Oleg Maskaev, Ruslan Chagaev and a group of American imposters.
The Klitschkos - Vitali and Wladimir - remain the best of what is a sorry lot, two brothers with technical skills and punching power, but little appeal in the U.S. market and an apparent aversion to facing anyone they think might be a danger to them.
Haye appears to be such a man. He is 24-1 with 22 knockouts, and was the former undisputed cruiserweight champ before moving up to heavyweight four fights ago.
Haye has repeatedly challenged the Klitschkos, but they argue he also backed out of agreements to fight them.
Haye admitted his next fight might have to be a Valuev rematch because he had to agree to that to get his title shot, but he quickly added, “Do I prefer that? No. I would like to fight who the people want me to fight.”
rborges@bostonherald.com
Source: news.bostonherald.com
Sabtu, 03 April 2010
Klitschko brothers too hot for David Haye, says British rival Michael Sprott -- Daily Mail
By Leo Spall, DailyMail.co.uk
David Haye and the rest of Britain’s heavyweight boxers have been warned to forget about dethroning triple world champion Wladimir Klitschko — because they are not good enough.
Michael Sprott, the former British and Commonwealth title holder, who recently spent three weeks sparring with the Ukrainian, said: ‘Wladimir is up there with the greats of boxing, like Lennox Lewis.
‘For a heavyweight, he is a very technical fighter. Haye has been the exciting one out there and might provide a challenge. But I can’t see anyone beating Wladimir or his elder brother, that’s why they have been champions for so long.’
The younger Klitschko holds title belts from the IBF, WBO and IBO — and has been targeted for toppling off that pinnacle by the rest of the division.
Audley Harrison has spoken hopefully of getting a shot at Wladimir or big brother Vitali, the WBC world champion but it is Haye who has riled them most — particularly with his personal attacks on the two men.
Haye was hoping his WBA title defence against John Ruiz last night would lay the foundations for a challenge and enable him finally to set up a contest with one of the brothers.
Terms have previously been a problem, while Haye pulled out of a fight with Wladimir last summer because of a back problem. A bout with Vitali was talked about, but it never got further than that.
There is no love lost between the rivals after several more rounds of trash-talking since Haye turned up at a Press conference wearing a T-shirt depicting him holding the decapitated heads of the brothers last year.
Haye’s most recent criticism of 34-year-old Wladimir is that he has no killer instinct. But Sprott was impressed: ‘He is not reckless and only throws a punch if he has to or thinks he is definitely going to catch you.
‘I know David said he is jab, jab, jab, and he has got a powerful, fast jab — but as soon as he lands that left, the right follows and it is all over quickly.’
Harrison, 38, who Sprott fights at Alexandra Palace on Friday for the vacant European title, is a less credible potential opponent.
Former Olympic champion Harrison needs to beat the man who knocked him out in three rounds in February 2007 before beginning to contemplate a world title shot and has promised to retire if he fails to do that. ‘Audley is definitely not the man to beat Wladimir,’ said Sprott, 35.
‘He will have to retire after I have beaten him and it is a long way back at his age.
‘It was a great experience training with Wladimir. It is good to see how a champion prepares from inside his camp — and he is a great champion.
I was with him for a few weeks, was sparring every day but I didn’t take too many hits as I have a good guard. You need that against him because he is a big puncher and is good on his feet.’
● Carl Froch has ended his feud with Amir Khan. The pair fell out last year after exchanging verbal blows as they prepared for separate fights. It split the exclusive club of British world title-holders and, with both men about to return to the ring, the possibility of more trash-talk loomed.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
David Haye and the rest of Britain’s heavyweight boxers have been warned to forget about dethroning triple world champion Wladimir Klitschko — because they are not good enough.
Michael Sprott, the former British and Commonwealth title holder, who recently spent three weeks sparring with the Ukrainian, said: ‘Wladimir is up there with the greats of boxing, like Lennox Lewis.
‘For a heavyweight, he is a very technical fighter. Haye has been the exciting one out there and might provide a challenge. But I can’t see anyone beating Wladimir or his elder brother, that’s why they have been champions for so long.’The younger Klitschko holds title belts from the IBF, WBO and IBO — and has been targeted for toppling off that pinnacle by the rest of the division.
Audley Harrison has spoken hopefully of getting a shot at Wladimir or big brother Vitali, the WBC world champion but it is Haye who has riled them most — particularly with his personal attacks on the two men.Haye was hoping his WBA title defence against John Ruiz last night would lay the foundations for a challenge and enable him finally to set up a contest with one of the brothers.
Terms have previously been a problem, while Haye pulled out of a fight with Wladimir last summer because of a back problem. A bout with Vitali was talked about, but it never got further than that.
There is no love lost between the rivals after several more rounds of trash-talking since Haye turned up at a Press conference wearing a T-shirt depicting him holding the decapitated heads of the brothers last year.
Haye’s most recent criticism of 34-year-old Wladimir is that he has no killer instinct. But Sprott was impressed: ‘He is not reckless and only throws a punch if he has to or thinks he is definitely going to catch you.
‘I know David said he is jab, jab, jab, and he has got a powerful, fast jab — but as soon as he lands that left, the right follows and it is all over quickly.’
Harrison, 38, who Sprott fights at Alexandra Palace on Friday for the vacant European title, is a less credible potential opponent.
Former Olympic champion Harrison needs to beat the man who knocked him out in three rounds in February 2007 before beginning to contemplate a world title shot and has promised to retire if he fails to do that. ‘Audley is definitely not the man to beat Wladimir,’ said Sprott, 35.
‘He will have to retire after I have beaten him and it is a long way back at his age.
‘It was a great experience training with Wladimir. It is good to see how a champion prepares from inside his camp — and he is a great champion.
I was with him for a few weeks, was sparring every day but I didn’t take too many hits as I have a good guard. You need that against him because he is a big puncher and is good on his feet.’
● Carl Froch has ended his feud with Amir Khan. The pair fell out last year after exchanging verbal blows as they prepared for separate fights. It split the exclusive club of British world title-holders and, with both men about to return to the ring, the possibility of more trash-talk loomed.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
Jumat, 02 April 2010
If Haye Tries To Make A Statement, Ruiz Might Make Off With His Belt -- The Sweet Science
By Ron Borges, The Sweet Science
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – Haye Fever is in the air despite gloomy skies and rain-spattered streets in England’s second largest city this weekend. The reason is that the first British heavyweight champion to fight in the British Isles in nearly 10 years is coming to the MEN Arena Saturday night to do more than defend the WBA title he won four months ago. He’s here to make a statement about himself and about British boxing.
The trajectory of British heavyweights prior to Lennox Lewis
was far more horizontal than vertical. Once they ventured from their island home the majority of them quickly found themselves outgunned and out cold. Lewis changed that during his time as one of the two dominant heavyweights of his era but he’s been retired for seven years and since then there has been a thirst here to find a British successor.
Olympic gold medalist Audley Harrison was not that man. Neither was Danny Williams, who faded into oblivion not long after he conquered a faded Mike Tyson. Whether David Haye is remains to be seen, but he won the WBA version of the title four months ago by taking a decidedly careful approach to seven-foot champion Nikolai Valuev and now will make his first defense against two-time WBA title holder John Ruiz.
Many would argue it is Haye’s first real exposure to a true heavyweight, Valuev being more of a circus act than a boxer and Haye’s previous two heavyweight opponents since abandoning the undisputed cruiserweight title (Monte Barrett and Tomasz Bonin) were one step below journeyman status.
Ruiz, on the other hand, has fought 322 rounds as a heavyweight, including 162 championship rounds. He’s twice won the WBA title and this will be his 11th title fight (5-4-1, 1 no contest). To say he is Joe Louis would be wrong. To say he knows his way around heavyweight boxing would be correct. Whether Haye does remains a mystery unsolved.
Haye is nine years younger than the 38-year-old former champion. He is faster of hand and foot and a more powerful puncher, having knocked out 21 of his 23 victims. But whether or not he’s truly a heavyweight remains a point open to discussion because his chin is suspect and his stamina debatable.
Haye (23-1, 21 KO) was dropped by Barrett but got up and stopped him. He was dropped by Jean-Marc Mormeck and Carl Thompson and wobbled by Giacobbe Fragomeni during his time as a cruiserweight as well. He rose to knock out Mormeck and Giacobbe but was stopped by Thompson and so, when taken in totality, those fights raise a question about his fitness to survive for long among the redwoods of boxing. That is why Haye is looking at the Ruiz fight as more than a way to get at the Klitschko brothers on an even promotional plain.
“I’m looking to make a statement in this fight,’’ Haye said this week. “I’m looking to do something dramatic. Ruiz looks good. He looks as good as I’ve ever seen him but I am prepared for that.
“I’m expecting a hard fight. He was stopped 14 years ago (by David Tua) when he got caught cold early but since then he’s never shown any signs of a weak punch defense so if I stop him it will be a great indication of how hard I can punch.’’
The British press have called Haye “the flag-bearer of British boxing’’ and claimed he needs to do more than simply win, insisting this needs to be a spectacular declaration of divisional domination. Although he has tried to downplay all that, which is not his normal way of handling such matters, in the end he conceded wining is not enough if he is to make the kind of statement about himself he believes needs to be made.
“Nothing matters unless I win this fight,’’ Haye said. “I feel like the challenger, not the champion. I feel like I have to take something from Ruiz.
“He’ll be rendered unconscious at some point. Maybe late. I don’t believe he can take my power for 12 rounds. I know he’ll try to smother my punches but the longer the fight goes the better the chance I’ve got (of stopping Ruiz).
“By the end of the fight he will have taken a lot of punishment. He’ll have to take a hell of a shellacking to get there (the 12th round).’’
Haye is a 7-1 betting favorite for a reason. He has superior quickness, athleticism and hand speed. Even Ruiz conceded, “My talent is just so-so. I make up for what I don’t have in determination,’’ which is far from a ringing endorsement of himself.
Yet nothing could be worse for a young champion with a sometimes disloyal chin than to seek a spectacular victory. Haye’s obligation is not to produce drama, for if he pursues that he could produce disaster instead, a moment he experienced six years ago in a similar situation with Thompson.
At that time Haye was considered the future of the cruiserweight division while the 40-year-old Thompson was yesterday’s news. The issue was not whether Haye would defeat him but rather how fashionably he would do it. Five rounds into his night’s work, Haye was a beaten young man, knocked into submission by a fighter who understood his craft and, more importantly, understood that the boxing ring is a place where a script can be re-written with one fist.
Haye’s problem in this regard is that he already took the conservative approach when he won the title by staying away from the hulking Valuev and pot-shotting his way to a championship. It worked beautifully but it seemed to raise the hackles of British fight fans, who this time are demanding much more of him.
Perhaps Haye will be wise enough to screen out their demands and focus on his job by using his quickness to create the right punching distance, winning the territorial battle first with judicious use of pressure, wearing Ruiz down with a relentless pounding before trying anything bolder. That would be the wise course but young fighters are often unwise.
“I have half his experience,’’ Haye said. “He is a seasoned, successful heavyweight. I have to respect him. But I have the skill set to deal with him. I believe I’m the hardest puncher, pound-for-pound, in the world. I look to make a statement, to do something dramatic with him.
“Others didn’t study and they underestimated him. I won’t fall into that trap. I don’t underestimate John Ruiz. A few people think he’ll come over here and upset me. I can’t allow that.’’
To avoid it, David Haye will have to avoid being sucked into the kind of mauling wrestling match Ruiz sometimes looks to create. He does it to use his 230 pounds as a battering ram that wears you down, breaking your spirit and unsettling your plans. Once done, he then forces you to submit, which is what he did particularly to Hasim Rahman, Kirk Johnson and Andrew Golota.
To avoid their fate, David Haye has to avoid the trap of trying to make a statement instead of trying to win a fight.
Source: thesweetscience.com
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – Haye Fever is in the air despite gloomy skies and rain-spattered streets in England’s second largest city this weekend. The reason is that the first British heavyweight champion to fight in the British Isles in nearly 10 years is coming to the MEN Arena Saturday night to do more than defend the WBA title he won four months ago. He’s here to make a statement about himself and about British boxing.
The trajectory of British heavyweights prior to Lennox Lewis was far more horizontal than vertical. Once they ventured from their island home the majority of them quickly found themselves outgunned and out cold. Lewis changed that during his time as one of the two dominant heavyweights of his era but he’s been retired for seven years and since then there has been a thirst here to find a British successor.Olympic gold medalist Audley Harrison was not that man. Neither was Danny Williams, who faded into oblivion not long after he conquered a faded Mike Tyson. Whether David Haye is remains to be seen, but he won the WBA version of the title four months ago by taking a decidedly careful approach to seven-foot champion Nikolai Valuev and now will make his first defense against two-time WBA title holder John Ruiz.
Many would argue it is Haye’s first real exposure to a true heavyweight, Valuev being more of a circus act than a boxer and Haye’s previous two heavyweight opponents since abandoning the undisputed cruiserweight title (Monte Barrett and Tomasz Bonin) were one step below journeyman status.
Ruiz, on the other hand, has fought 322 rounds as a heavyweight, including 162 championship rounds. He’s twice won the WBA title and this will be his 11th title fight (5-4-1, 1 no contest). To say he is Joe Louis would be wrong. To say he knows his way around heavyweight boxing would be correct. Whether Haye does remains a mystery unsolved.
Haye is nine years younger than the 38-year-old former champion. He is faster of hand and foot and a more powerful puncher, having knocked out 21 of his 23 victims. But whether or not he’s truly a heavyweight remains a point open to discussion because his chin is suspect and his stamina debatable.
Haye (23-1, 21 KO) was dropped by Barrett but got up and stopped him. He was dropped by Jean-Marc Mormeck and Carl Thompson and wobbled by Giacobbe Fragomeni during his time as a cruiserweight as well. He rose to knock out Mormeck and Giacobbe but was stopped by Thompson and so, when taken in totality, those fights raise a question about his fitness to survive for long among the redwoods of boxing. That is why Haye is looking at the Ruiz fight as more than a way to get at the Klitschko brothers on an even promotional plain.
“I’m looking to make a statement in this fight,’’ Haye said this week. “I’m looking to do something dramatic. Ruiz looks good. He looks as good as I’ve ever seen him but I am prepared for that.
“I’m expecting a hard fight. He was stopped 14 years ago (by David Tua) when he got caught cold early but since then he’s never shown any signs of a weak punch defense so if I stop him it will be a great indication of how hard I can punch.’’
The British press have called Haye “the flag-bearer of British boxing’’ and claimed he needs to do more than simply win, insisting this needs to be a spectacular declaration of divisional domination. Although he has tried to downplay all that, which is not his normal way of handling such matters, in the end he conceded wining is not enough if he is to make the kind of statement about himself he believes needs to be made.
“Nothing matters unless I win this fight,’’ Haye said. “I feel like the challenger, not the champion. I feel like I have to take something from Ruiz.
“He’ll be rendered unconscious at some point. Maybe late. I don’t believe he can take my power for 12 rounds. I know he’ll try to smother my punches but the longer the fight goes the better the chance I’ve got (of stopping Ruiz).
“By the end of the fight he will have taken a lot of punishment. He’ll have to take a hell of a shellacking to get there (the 12th round).’’
Haye is a 7-1 betting favorite for a reason. He has superior quickness, athleticism and hand speed. Even Ruiz conceded, “My talent is just so-so. I make up for what I don’t have in determination,’’ which is far from a ringing endorsement of himself.
Yet nothing could be worse for a young champion with a sometimes disloyal chin than to seek a spectacular victory. Haye’s obligation is not to produce drama, for if he pursues that he could produce disaster instead, a moment he experienced six years ago in a similar situation with Thompson.
At that time Haye was considered the future of the cruiserweight division while the 40-year-old Thompson was yesterday’s news. The issue was not whether Haye would defeat him but rather how fashionably he would do it. Five rounds into his night’s work, Haye was a beaten young man, knocked into submission by a fighter who understood his craft and, more importantly, understood that the boxing ring is a place where a script can be re-written with one fist.
Haye’s problem in this regard is that he already took the conservative approach when he won the title by staying away from the hulking Valuev and pot-shotting his way to a championship. It worked beautifully but it seemed to raise the hackles of British fight fans, who this time are demanding much more of him.
Perhaps Haye will be wise enough to screen out their demands and focus on his job by using his quickness to create the right punching distance, winning the territorial battle first with judicious use of pressure, wearing Ruiz down with a relentless pounding before trying anything bolder. That would be the wise course but young fighters are often unwise.
“I have half his experience,’’ Haye said. “He is a seasoned, successful heavyweight. I have to respect him. But I have the skill set to deal with him. I believe I’m the hardest puncher, pound-for-pound, in the world. I look to make a statement, to do something dramatic with him.
“Others didn’t study and they underestimated him. I won’t fall into that trap. I don’t underestimate John Ruiz. A few people think he’ll come over here and upset me. I can’t allow that.’’
To avoid it, David Haye will have to avoid being sucked into the kind of mauling wrestling match Ruiz sometimes looks to create. He does it to use his 230 pounds as a battering ram that wears you down, breaking your spirit and unsettling your plans. Once done, he then forces you to submit, which is what he did particularly to Hasim Rahman, Kirk Johnson and Andrew Golota.
To avoid their fate, David Haye has to avoid the trap of trying to make a statement instead of trying to win a fight.
Source: thesweetscience.com
Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko: Can David Tua Stop the Champion Brothers? -- Ringside Report
By Geno McGahee, Ringside Report
On March 15th, 1996, HBO featured a triple header with six heavyweight hopefuls colliding. The opening bout was a match between John Ruiz, a Massachusetts heavyweight that had won 25 of his 27 outings, and the slugger, short and compact, winner of all 22 of his bouts, David Tua. A left hook sent Ruiz reeling early, and a barrage of punches would end it just 19 seconds into the round. It sent a message to the division. There was a champion coming out of this fight, but amazingly, it wouldn’t be Tua. Ruiz would go on to hold the title on two occasions.
The career of David Tua is a curious one. He is a fighter that has demolished men that would go on to be champion, but never came close to winning a title himself. Tua, 51-3-1, 43 KO’s, has beaten former WBC Champ Oleg Maskaev (KO -11), former 2-Time Champion Hasim Rahman (KO-10), former Undisputed Champion, Michael Moorer (KO-1), and Ruiz (KO-1).
Part of the reason has been his weight, and it may have been the biggest factor. He started his career at 201 pounds. He beat Ruiz at what many see his best weight, 225 pounds. When he finally landed his title shot in 2000 against Lennox Lewis, he came in at 245 pounds and didn’t have the speed or mobility to have a chance to win. Lewis boxed and stayed away, winning a wide decision. Tua’s career after that fight had been up and down.
He lost to Chris Byrd in 2001, had a stretch of inactivity, including a recent one from 2007 to 2009, but he is back. In late 2009, he took on fringe contender Shane Cameron, starching him inside of two rounds. In his last fight, he went twelve rounds, taking the decision easily over Friday Ahunanya, and occupies the #3 ranking in the WBO. So, what can a 37 year old David Tua do against the WBO Heavyweight Champion, Wladimir Klitschko? A lot.
Tua seems to have his focus back. He has a huge punch and takes a great punch, which is a formula that Wlad doesn’t always deal well with. Sam Peter, a much more raw version of Tua, gave Wlad hell over twelve rounds. An inspired Lamon Brewster stopped him. Tua, if motivated, could finally realize what many contended was his destiny…to win the heavyweight title.
A Tua – Wlad match up would generate a lot of public interest…maybe HBO would even broadcast it! David Tua is a notable heavyweight from a much more memorable time than we have going now. His punching power and the perceived weaknesses in the chin and heart of the champion would get the boxing fans excited, especially if a 230 pound Tua showed up to fight.
The Klitschko brothers have eliminated most of the contenders that were of any threat. Calvin Brock, Ruslan Chagaev, Sultan Ibragimov, Eddie Chambers, Kirk Johnson, Tony Thompson, Lamon Brewster, Ray Austin, Sam Peter, Juan Carlos Gomez, Chris Byrd, and Chris Arreola have all been defeated. There isn’t much left. Tua could shake up the division.
Unfortunately for boxing and unfortunately for the Klitschko brothers, the current heavyweight division is in a lull. The talent pool is very small, leaving the brothers atop of the mountain and the rest much farther down and without much chance to survive the fight, let alone win it. The size, Lennox Lewis style of fighting, and lack of true competition cements them in as long reigning champions. This is why boxing has died on the heavyweight level.
On May 29th, Vitali, who has hinted at retirement…again, will take on the challenge of Polish heavyweight, Albert Sosnowski in a WBC Title bout that most consider to be a mismatch of epic proportions. You pile that on top of Eddie Chambers’ non effort against Wlad, and Kevin Johnson’s equally horrible performance against Vitali, then there is no reason for people to get excited about the heavyweight title anymore.
In the 1990s, we had it good with guys like Ray Mercer, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, Razor Ruddock, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, George Foreman, Michael Moorer, Tommy Morrison, and many more good contenders to keep it fresh and create great fights. We had warriors that would go to battle and now we are seeing beatings or bouts of survival.
The Klitschko brothers want to go down in history as memorable champions, but you are only as good as your competition. Fighters like Odlanier Solis, Alexander Povetkin, Tomasz Adamek, and David Haye have the potential to shake up the control of the division, but they don’t have the following that a David Tua does. Tua is in a great position right now to lay down a challenge to either Klitschko brothers.
What the “Tuaman” may need to make the public demand the fight is a showdown with one of the top guns in the division today. If he were to take on the winner of Adamek-Arreola and come out victorious, especially if it were by stoppage, he would be right in there for a title shot. If he were to take on Nikolay Valuev, the gigantic former champion and give him his first KO defeat, it would generate more support for the big fight.
David Tua needs to fight one of the Klitschko brothers and Wlad is the much more winnable fight. It would be tough for the smaller Tua to get into punching range without being smothered or tied up, but his short arms and vicious hooks should provide us with some entertainment and Wlad some scares.
At one time, David Tua was nearly a sure thing to wear the heavyweight title, but it didn’t happen. Many lesser fighters went on to hold the crown, but at 37 years of age with nine straight wins, he may finally have his focus back and finally realize his dream to be the heavyweight champion.
Source: ringsidereport.com
On March 15th, 1996, HBO featured a triple header with six heavyweight hopefuls colliding. The opening bout was a match between John Ruiz, a Massachusetts heavyweight that had won 25 of his 27 outings, and the slugger, short and compact, winner of all 22 of his bouts, David Tua. A left hook sent Ruiz reeling early, and a barrage of punches would end it just 19 seconds into the round. It sent a message to the division. There was a champion coming out of this fight, but amazingly, it wouldn’t be Tua. Ruiz would go on to hold the title on two occasions.
The career of David Tua is a curious one. He is a fighter that has demolished men that would go on to be champion, but never came close to winning a title himself. Tua, 51-3-1, 43 KO’s, has beaten former WBC Champ Oleg Maskaev (KO -11), former 2-Time Champion Hasim Rahman (KO-10), former Undisputed Champion, Michael Moorer (KO-1), and Ruiz (KO-1).
Part of the reason has been his weight, and it may have been the biggest factor. He started his career at 201 pounds. He beat Ruiz at what many see his best weight, 225 pounds. When he finally landed his title shot in 2000 against Lennox Lewis, he came in at 245 pounds and didn’t have the speed or mobility to have a chance to win. Lewis boxed and stayed away, winning a wide decision. Tua’s career after that fight had been up and down.He lost to Chris Byrd in 2001, had a stretch of inactivity, including a recent one from 2007 to 2009, but he is back. In late 2009, he took on fringe contender Shane Cameron, starching him inside of two rounds. In his last fight, he went twelve rounds, taking the decision easily over Friday Ahunanya, and occupies the #3 ranking in the WBO. So, what can a 37 year old David Tua do against the WBO Heavyweight Champion, Wladimir Klitschko? A lot.Tua seems to have his focus back. He has a huge punch and takes a great punch, which is a formula that Wlad doesn’t always deal well with. Sam Peter, a much more raw version of Tua, gave Wlad hell over twelve rounds. An inspired Lamon Brewster stopped him. Tua, if motivated, could finally realize what many contended was his destiny…to win the heavyweight title.
A Tua – Wlad match up would generate a lot of public interest…maybe HBO would even broadcast it! David Tua is a notable heavyweight from a much more memorable time than we have going now. His punching power and the perceived weaknesses in the chin and heart of the champion would get the boxing fans excited, especially if a 230 pound Tua showed up to fight.
The Klitschko brothers have eliminated most of the contenders that were of any threat. Calvin Brock, Ruslan Chagaev, Sultan Ibragimov, Eddie Chambers, Kirk Johnson, Tony Thompson, Lamon Brewster, Ray Austin, Sam Peter, Juan Carlos Gomez, Chris Byrd, and Chris Arreola have all been defeated. There isn’t much left. Tua could shake up the division.
Unfortunately for boxing and unfortunately for the Klitschko brothers, the current heavyweight division is in a lull. The talent pool is very small, leaving the brothers atop of the mountain and the rest much farther down and without much chance to survive the fight, let alone win it. The size, Lennox Lewis style of fighting, and lack of true competition cements them in as long reigning champions. This is why boxing has died on the heavyweight level.
On May 29th, Vitali, who has hinted at retirement…again, will take on the challenge of Polish heavyweight, Albert Sosnowski in a WBC Title bout that most consider to be a mismatch of epic proportions. You pile that on top of Eddie Chambers’ non effort against Wlad, and Kevin Johnson’s equally horrible performance against Vitali, then there is no reason for people to get excited about the heavyweight title anymore.
In the 1990s, we had it good with guys like Ray Mercer, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, Razor Ruddock, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, George Foreman, Michael Moorer, Tommy Morrison, and many more good contenders to keep it fresh and create great fights. We had warriors that would go to battle and now we are seeing beatings or bouts of survival.
The Klitschko brothers want to go down in history as memorable champions, but you are only as good as your competition. Fighters like Odlanier Solis, Alexander Povetkin, Tomasz Adamek, and David Haye have the potential to shake up the control of the division, but they don’t have the following that a David Tua does. Tua is in a great position right now to lay down a challenge to either Klitschko brothers.
What the “Tuaman” may need to make the public demand the fight is a showdown with one of the top guns in the division today. If he were to take on the winner of Adamek-Arreola and come out victorious, especially if it were by stoppage, he would be right in there for a title shot. If he were to take on Nikolay Valuev, the gigantic former champion and give him his first KO defeat, it would generate more support for the big fight.
David Tua needs to fight one of the Klitschko brothers and Wlad is the much more winnable fight. It would be tough for the smaller Tua to get into punching range without being smothered or tied up, but his short arms and vicious hooks should provide us with some entertainment and Wlad some scares.
At one time, David Tua was nearly a sure thing to wear the heavyweight title, but it didn’t happen. Many lesser fighters went on to hold the crown, but at 37 years of age with nine straight wins, he may finally have his focus back and finally realize his dream to be the heavyweight champion.
Source: ringsidereport.com
Rabu, 31 Maret 2010
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.
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.
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
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.
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
Selasa, 30 Maret 2010
David’s dodge to see Lennox -- The Sun
By PAT SHEEHAN, The Sun
TEN years after gatecrashing the London Arena to see Lennox Lewis
retain the world heavyweight title, David Haye is the main attraction.
Haye, now 29, will be tracked by spotlights as he walks to the ring to defend his WBA title against Johnny Ruiz in front of a sell-out crowd at Manchester's MEN Arena on Saturday.
But things were different when he and some mates got into the now-defunct London venue to watch Lewis destroy Frans Botha in two rounds.
Haye said: "One of my pals paid for a ticket. He went in and opened a fire exit so we could all bundle in although a security guard was trying hard to stop us.
"We all ran round him and disappeared into the crowd before meeting up by ringside where I did a bit more blagging. I sat there just feet from the apron, a £500 ticket for nothing.
"We got there as Lennox was coming to the ring. He was a massive idol of mine. To watch him despatch Frans Botha like that was brilliant.
"Back then I would never have thought in a million years I would be the next Briton defending the heavyweight title over here. I feel proud about it.
"Botha was known as a tough guy and a durable opponent, similar to Ruiz, who always gave people a really hard night's work.
"I'd love to put on the same sort of performance as Lennox did that night and blast him out of there in a couple of rounds.
"I'm not sure Ruiz is as easy to blast out as all that. Adam Booth my trainer has made sure I can go 12 hard rounds if need be.
"But the way I'm punching, Ruiz will have had to have improved his punch resistance 10-fold to go the distance."
Bookies have Haye as favourite but he is taking no notice of the odds.
He said: "In the heavyweight division, one punch can settle it all. You can come unstuck if you don't prepare right.
"Lennox overlooked Hasim Rahman and Oliver McCall and look what happened."
Lewis retired in 2003 after stopping Vitali Klitschko. The giant Ukrainian is now WBC champion and in Haye's sights as he dreams of unifying the world heavyweight title.
Source: thesun.co.uk
TEN years after gatecrashing the London Arena to see Lennox Lewis retain the world heavyweight title, David Haye is the main attraction.But things were different when he and some mates got into the now-defunct London venue to watch Lewis destroy Frans Botha in two rounds.
Haye said: "One of my pals paid for a ticket. He went in and opened a fire exit so we could all bundle in although a security guard was trying hard to stop us.
"We all ran round him and disappeared into the crowd before meeting up by ringside where I did a bit more blagging. I sat there just feet from the apron, a £500 ticket for nothing.
"We got there as Lennox was coming to the ring. He was a massive idol of mine. To watch him despatch Frans Botha like that was brilliant.
"Back then I would never have thought in a million years I would be the next Briton defending the heavyweight title over here. I feel proud about it.
"Botha was known as a tough guy and a durable opponent, similar to Ruiz, who always gave people a really hard night's work.
"I'd love to put on the same sort of performance as Lennox did that night and blast him out of there in a couple of rounds.
"I'm not sure Ruiz is as easy to blast out as all that. Adam Booth my trainer has made sure I can go 12 hard rounds if need be.
"But the way I'm punching, Ruiz will have had to have improved his punch resistance 10-fold to go the distance."
Bookies have Haye as favourite but he is taking no notice of the odds.
He said: "In the heavyweight division, one punch can settle it all. You can come unstuck if you don't prepare right.
"Lennox overlooked Hasim Rahman and Oliver McCall and look what happened."
Lewis retired in 2003 after stopping Vitali Klitschko. The giant Ukrainian is now WBC champion and in Haye's sights as he dreams of unifying the world heavyweight title.
Source: thesun.co.uk
Minggu, 28 Maret 2010
The Return of Mike Tyson: What Will it Mean for Boxing? -- Ringside Report
By Joe Wilson, RingsideReport.com
For the last several years, the heavyweight division has taken a back seat in the sport of boxing. In my lifetime, I don’t ever remember the division being in the shape it’s in today. It has clearly gone on vacation. Many fight fans are puzzled about what’s happening to the heavyweights.
Here recently there have been rumors of a Mike Tyson
comeback. RSR’s very own, Managing Editor, Geno McGahee, launched a story on Tyson’s return that was picked up by several major Sports News Medias; USA Today, Detroit Free Press, Fox News and ESPN 2 to name a few.
RSR thanked other publications for their professionalism. However, it was shame on Brian Kenny and Dan Rafael for the way they handled the report on ESPN 2 Friday Nights Fights a couple weeks ago. They misrepresented the story published on RSR, claiming to have investigated the story when in fact based their entire report on speculations and one interview were the subject said very little, according to McGahee.
Back on October 31, 2009, Don King let the “cat out of the bag” when he made it known to everyone that his relationship with “Iron Man” Mike Tyson has been renewed. King had a scheduled boxing event at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Before the start of the event King put on a “marketing extravaganza” with Mike Tyson.
King traveled all through the casino with Tyson at his side; shouting, “He’s back, Mike Tyson everybody, he’s back,” over and over again. They both stopped in the main lobby of the hotel & casino. There was an entourage with people following all around them flashing cameras and getting autographs.
That was the evening Don King started to promote Mike Tyson all over again. I had never seen King look so excited. He acted, as if Tyson was 20 years old, all over again. I must admit at that moment, it looked really nice. After all these years and setbacks of Mike Tyson, he and King could still attract attention. People were watching!
That night King had Tyson as a surprise commentator for his Showtime telecast. Not long ago Tyson released a documentary of his life. He had very harsh words to say about Don King, but that night it was much love between the two. Both Tyson and King acted as if there has never been a falling out between them.
It’s on record of Tyson saying “all things pass and he felt it was time to just mend fences with Don.” As of late, he has taken on a much kinder and gentler approach when dealing with others. He says “he has gratitude in his life now, and that he’s taken so much from others, and now it’s time to start giving back.” Tyson says “he never thought he would live to see 43 yrs. old, and he just wants to give back.”
King said, “He never said anything bad about Mike Tyson after all those years, because he knew one day, they would be back together again.” “Reunited and it feels so good” sings King… It had been four years since Don King put on a boxing event in Las Vegas. Having Tyson at his side is what made the evening so great!
“I think Mike is one of the greatest fighters that ever lived,” said King. He also feels that Tyson can still be a fighter if he wants to be one. Any time Don King start saying things like, “Mike needs vitamins; he needs tender loving care, dedication and discipline.” There are definitely plans for Mike Tyson’s return to the ring.
I agree with Managing Editor, Geno McGahee in regards to the five years Tyson has had away from boxing. Being away from the sport has allowed him to put a lot of things back in proper order. He seems to be focused.
Lately, Tyson seems to be very comfortable with himself. Anyone who has watched Mike fight during the prime of his career knows he can beat anybody who stands in front of him when he’s focused. He seems to have his head “screwed on pretty tight these days.” All he needs to do is get in top shape and spend time at the gym. Then, leave all the rest up to his promoter Don King.
The return of “Iron Man” Mike Tyson would be just the cylinder the heavyweight division needs. I don’t believe age would be a big factor, if he decides to come back. Tyson knows the dedication it will take to become champion again. George Foreman has definitely laid out the blueprint on how it can be done, even when you are past your prime.
There is a flip side to this coin and that is; Mike Tyson has to comeback, because Mike Tyson has that desire to fight again, not me or Don King or anyone else can place that in him. It totally has to be Mike. If he chooses to do so, the sport would gladly have him back!
Source: ringsidereport.com
For the last several years, the heavyweight division has taken a back seat in the sport of boxing. In my lifetime, I don’t ever remember the division being in the shape it’s in today. It has clearly gone on vacation. Many fight fans are puzzled about what’s happening to the heavyweights.There has not been a good heavyweight fight since World Heavyweight Champion Lennox Lewis stopped Vitali Klitschko in round six, after a bad cut to Klitschko’s left eye. That fight was very exciting. All three judges had Klitschko ahead before the stoppage. Those two fighters battled it out in the center of the ring.
Lennox Lewis retired shortly after that fight; that was June 21, 2003. Since then, there has been other heavyweight fights, but none of them really worth talking about. Maybe, the 2004 WBO heavyweight title fight, when Lamon Brewster knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in round six, after coming off the canvas himself in round two from a knockdown. Klitschko later won a rematch against Brewster.
Here recently there have been rumors of a Mike Tyson
comeback. RSR’s very own, Managing Editor, Geno McGahee, launched a story on Tyson’s return that was picked up by several major Sports News Medias; USA Today, Detroit Free Press, Fox News and ESPN 2 to name a few.RSR thanked other publications for their professionalism. However, it was shame on Brian Kenny and Dan Rafael for the way they handled the report on ESPN 2 Friday Nights Fights a couple weeks ago. They misrepresented the story published on RSR, claiming to have investigated the story when in fact based their entire report on speculations and one interview were the subject said very little, according to McGahee.
Back on October 31, 2009, Don King let the “cat out of the bag” when he made it known to everyone that his relationship with “Iron Man” Mike Tyson has been renewed. King had a scheduled boxing event at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Before the start of the event King put on a “marketing extravaganza” with Mike Tyson.
King traveled all through the casino with Tyson at his side; shouting, “He’s back, Mike Tyson everybody, he’s back,” over and over again. They both stopped in the main lobby of the hotel & casino. There was an entourage with people following all around them flashing cameras and getting autographs.
That was the evening Don King started to promote Mike Tyson all over again. I had never seen King look so excited. He acted, as if Tyson was 20 years old, all over again. I must admit at that moment, it looked really nice. After all these years and setbacks of Mike Tyson, he and King could still attract attention. People were watching!
That night King had Tyson as a surprise commentator for his Showtime telecast. Not long ago Tyson released a documentary of his life. He had very harsh words to say about Don King, but that night it was much love between the two. Both Tyson and King acted as if there has never been a falling out between them.
It’s on record of Tyson saying “all things pass and he felt it was time to just mend fences with Don.” As of late, he has taken on a much kinder and gentler approach when dealing with others. He says “he has gratitude in his life now, and that he’s taken so much from others, and now it’s time to start giving back.” Tyson says “he never thought he would live to see 43 yrs. old, and he just wants to give back.”
King said, “He never said anything bad about Mike Tyson after all those years, because he knew one day, they would be back together again.” “Reunited and it feels so good” sings King… It had been four years since Don King put on a boxing event in Las Vegas. Having Tyson at his side is what made the evening so great!
“I think Mike is one of the greatest fighters that ever lived,” said King. He also feels that Tyson can still be a fighter if he wants to be one. Any time Don King start saying things like, “Mike needs vitamins; he needs tender loving care, dedication and discipline.” There are definitely plans for Mike Tyson’s return to the ring.
I agree with Managing Editor, Geno McGahee in regards to the five years Tyson has had away from boxing. Being away from the sport has allowed him to put a lot of things back in proper order. He seems to be focused.
Lately, Tyson seems to be very comfortable with himself. Anyone who has watched Mike fight during the prime of his career knows he can beat anybody who stands in front of him when he’s focused. He seems to have his head “screwed on pretty tight these days.” All he needs to do is get in top shape and spend time at the gym. Then, leave all the rest up to his promoter Don King.
The return of “Iron Man” Mike Tyson would be just the cylinder the heavyweight division needs. I don’t believe age would be a big factor, if he decides to come back. Tyson knows the dedication it will take to become champion again. George Foreman has definitely laid out the blueprint on how it can be done, even when you are past your prime.
There is a flip side to this coin and that is; Mike Tyson has to comeback, because Mike Tyson has that desire to fight again, not me or Don King or anyone else can place that in him. It totally has to be Mike. If he chooses to do so, the sport would gladly have him back!
Source: ringsidereport.com
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