By Case Keefer, Las Vegas Sun
Floyd Mayweather, Jr., controversially declared himself a better fighter than Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson in the latest episode of HBO's 24/7 Mayweather vs. Mosley.
Mayweather didn't back off those comments during a Thursday teleconference to preview his May 1 fight against Shane Mosley at the MGM Garden Arena.
In fact, Mayweather (40-0, 25 KO) elaborated and said a victory against Mosley would further prove his point.
"Things change, it's out with the old and in with the new," Mayweather said. "Muhammad Ali was one hell of a fighter, but Floyd Mayweather is the best."
Asked where he would put Mosley (46-5, 39 KO) on his all-time list, Mayweather said he wasn't sure Mosley should be ranked.
"I don't know how Mosley can call himself great or say he's a future Hall of Famer because we don't know how long this guy was taking enhancement drugs," Mayweather said.
Mosley's name was prominent in the 2003 BALCO investigation, which also included notable athletes such as Barry Bonds, and it was revealed he had taken illegal performance enhancers before a fight against Oscar De La Hoya.
Although Mayweather said beating Mosley would build on his legacy, he didn't have any compliments for his opponent.
"He's a fighter that always worries about landing one big shot and worries about who is strong," Mayweather said. "I worry about being smart and winning."
The conversation naturally drifted toward Manny Pacquiao, whom Mayweather was originally slated to fight in March before the two sides couldn't agree on drug testing procedures.
Mayweather had no slot for where Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KO) ranked in the all-time great list, but assured it was nowhere close to him.
"We know he's been knocked out twice and he's been out-boxed by Erik Morales," Mayweather said. "But they still give him boxer of the decade. That's something I don't understand."
"All I'll say is this: If you're a clean athlete, take the test. Show the world."
Mayweather harped on the idea that Pacquiao gets more credit than him despite his undefeated record.
Mayweather said he heard detractors after every one of his victories and already planned on it happening again after the Mosley fight.
"When I go out and beat Shane Mosley, they will say he's over the hill," Mayweather said. "There's always an excuse."
Although the bout is between two of the biggest names in boxing, a title will not be on the line. Mosley's WBA welterweight championship belt is safe even if he loses.
Mayweather said this did not bother him and that he no longer cared about titles.
"At this level, for Floyd, it's not about belts," said Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's promoter. "It's about fighting for his legacy and it's about money."
As far as Mayweather is concerned, however, his legacy should already be intact.
"I got respect for Sugar Ray Robinson. I got respect for Muhammad Ali," Mayweather said. "But I'm a man just like them and put on my pants just like they put on their pants. But what makes them any better than me?"
Source: lasvegassun.com
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Muhammad Ali. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Muhammad Ali. Tampilkan semua postingan
Jumat, 23 April 2010
Senin, 19 April 2010
24/7 Needs to Button Mayweather's Foul Mouth -- Eastside Boxing
By Paul Strauss, Eastside Boxing
Once again the Mayweather trio of father, son and recently indicted uncle proved they have no class. If a person walked by the tv set when the 2nd Episode of 24/7 was playing, it's likely the reaction would be something like, "What the heck is on now!" because all they would have heard was, "F-this and F-that" being spewed out of the set. Once you realized what was on, your shock would quickly turn to disgust, knowing that the three stooges had been reincarnated into foul mouthed reality characters who were no longer funny. Unfortunately HBO is gave them a stage upon which to act up..
It's a good bet none of the three has ever heard of an adjective or adverb other than the four letter kind. These ignoramouses have young children around them too, and you wonder to what they are being subjected. During interview aspects of the show, it also became evident that neither Floyd, Jr. or Roger had the ability to answer simple questions. They repeatedly go off on tangents that either make no sense, or are poor attempts at pushing their own ridiculous agenda.
Floyd, Jr. left no doubt that he should be wearing a floppy cloth hat with jiggle bells on it, because he sure was acting the fool when he had the audacity to claim he is better than Muhammed Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson! I swear he spouted donkey ears at that moment! His claim wasn't worthy of discussion. Floyd, Jr. also went into his tiresome act about money, and thought it clever to nickname the children after money. What ingenuity! The age old adage about money not bringing class is true, unless you mean first class idiot!
What the Mayweathers try to do is not unlike trying to house a swine in the best pen, and even dress it in finery. The truth is the little stinker will still emit an offensive odor and sooner or later show it's true colors by billowing forth into unrestrained pleasure and ignorant delight as it wallows in the dirt and mud. But, to the little contemptible creature, the whole repulsive experience seems luxuriating!
Source: eastsideboxing.com
Once again the Mayweather trio of father, son and recently indicted uncle proved they have no class. If a person walked by the tv set when the 2nd Episode of 24/7 was playing, it's likely the reaction would be something like, "What the heck is on now!" because all they would have heard was, "F-this and F-that" being spewed out of the set. Once you realized what was on, your shock would quickly turn to disgust, knowing that the three stooges had been reincarnated into foul mouthed reality characters who were no longer funny. Unfortunately HBO is gave them a stage upon which to act up..
It's a good bet none of the three has ever heard of an adjective or adverb other than the four letter kind. These ignoramouses have young children around them too, and you wonder to what they are being subjected. During interview aspects of the show, it also became evident that neither Floyd, Jr. or Roger had the ability to answer simple questions. They repeatedly go off on tangents that either make no sense, or are poor attempts at pushing their own ridiculous agenda. Floyd, Jr. left no doubt that he should be wearing a floppy cloth hat with jiggle bells on it, because he sure was acting the fool when he had the audacity to claim he is better than Muhammed Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson! I swear he spouted donkey ears at that moment! His claim wasn't worthy of discussion. Floyd, Jr. also went into his tiresome act about money, and thought it clever to nickname the children after money. What ingenuity! The age old adage about money not bringing class is true, unless you mean first class idiot! What the Mayweathers try to do is not unlike trying to house a swine in the best pen, and even dress it in finery. The truth is the little stinker will still emit an offensive odor and sooner or later show it's true colors by billowing forth into unrestrained pleasure and ignorant delight as it wallows in the dirt and mud. But, to the little contemptible creature, the whole repulsive experience seems luxuriating!
Source: eastsideboxing.com
Sabtu, 10 April 2010
Hall of Fame referee Arthur Mercante dead at 90 -- The Associated Press
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Hall of Fame boxing referee Arthur Mercante, the third man in the ring for the first Ali-Frazier fight and more than a hundred other world title bouts, has died. He was 90.
Mercante died Saturday at his home in Westbury, said Edward Brophy, executive director of the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota.
Flags at the Hall of Fame were flying at half-staff Saturday, and 10-bell salutes were planned before Andre Berto's welterweight title fight against Carlos Quintana in Sunrise, Fla., and a Top Rank-promoted card in Las Vegas.
Mercante refereed 145 world title fights during his career, the most famous on March 8, 1971, when Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali in "The Fight of the Century" at Madison Square Garden.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Source: google.com
NEW YORK — Hall of Fame boxing referee Arthur Mercante, the third man in the ring for the first Ali-Frazier fight and more than a hundred other world title bouts, has died. He was 90.Mercante died Saturday at his home in Westbury, said Edward Brophy, executive director of the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota.
Flags at the Hall of Fame were flying at half-staff Saturday, and 10-bell salutes were planned before Andre Berto's welterweight title fight against Carlos Quintana in Sunrise, Fla., and a Top Rank-promoted card in Las Vegas.
Mercante refereed 145 world title fights during his career, the most famous on March 8, 1971, when Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali in "The Fight of the Century" at Madison Square Garden.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Source: google.com
Kamis, 08 April 2010
The Greatest -- The Ledger
By Rick Brown, THE LEDGER
![Legends of the Ring - Sugar Ray Robinson - Pound for Pound [VHS]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vmisTq6MZS6WI19eWQsS2U11loeZbVqx9qMpI2rx0658_-Ng9iatlIMldr9sGwZzBmsYXBnyXN4Qq0k2dnL8aaYlCVXB1dReVWBDd2XwV7jQCqqCXTjv1dtFjCGIqVXRI5bYPLW72GPINP1xXy6zddkEw-FX215RIqCbKcjKJXSAkgS5krEK4dotlGPMp-12HuH73htcdXfrp4T_j2eZwOJyp6tPSxXCKfrjM=s0-d)
Muhammad Ali called himself "The Greatest."
A panel of four boxing experts assembled by The Ledger disagrees.
Sure, Ali was great. So were Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano. And Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have joined the conversation in recent years.
They had all the tools; they had longevity.
But when asked to put all the tools together and identify the ultimate boxer, The Ledger's panel - including Showtime boxing analyst Al Bernstein, boxing historian Bert Sugar, boxing publicist Bill Caplan and Winter Haven trainer Tony Morgan - was unanimous.
Sugar Ray Robinson.
"He did more things well than any boxer in history," Bernstein said. "He was fast, powerful, clever and courageous. He had a great jab, great hook, good right hand and threw great combinations. He was also a good, but not perfect defensive fighter."
Robinson was so good, he knocked a guy out while moving backward.
Robinson was an international star as he was just as popular in France, where he lived for a while. In the United States, Robinson was honored with a postal stamp in 1996.
Born May 3, 1921, in Ailey Ga., as Walker Smith Jr., his family moved to New York when he was a teenager. It was in Harlem that he was introduced to boxing.
At 14, Smith wanted to enter a tournament but was told he needed to have an Amateur Athletic Union boxing card. He couldn't do that until he was 16, so he borrowed a friend's card. That friend was Ray Robinson.
As he progressed in the gym, his future coach, George Gainford, said the young boxer's style and fluid motions were "sweet like sugar." Thus, Sugar Ray Robinson was born.
Others would use the nickname "sugar," but Robinson owned it. After knocking out a boxer named Sugar George Costner in 1951, Robinson stood over the fallen fighter and asked, "Who's the real Sugar?"
His amateur record was a perfect 85-0 with 69 knockouts. He won the Golden Gloves featherweight championship in 1939 and the lightweight title in 1940 before turning pro.
For more than two decades, Robinson was the class of the welterweight and middleweight divisions. He had a 91-fight win streak. In his first 131 fights, he had one loss and two draws.
"He was flawless," said Sugar, the historian. "In his only loss to Jake LaMotta, he reversed that three weeks later. He was an unbelievable fighter."
Robinson captured the welterweight title in 1946 and held it until 1951. Later in 1951, he won the middleweight title. He retired in 1952 but came back and won the middleweight title again in 1955. He was the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times.
In all, Robinson fought for 26 years and finished his career 175-19-6 with two no-decisions. The word "pound-for-pound" fighter was created because of him.
Since his death in 1989, Robinson was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. In 1997, Ring magazine named him the best pound-for-pound boxer in history, while in 1999, the Associated Press named him the greatest welterweight and middleweight boxer of the century.
And what do those other great fighters think of all that?
Ali, Louis and Sugar Ray Leonard called Robinson their idol.
Leonard was quoted as saying, "Someone once said there was a comparison between Sugar Ray Leonard and Sugar Ray Robinson. Believe me, there's no comparison. Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest."
Source: theledger.com
Muhammad Ali called himself "The Greatest."Sure, Ali was great. So were Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano. And Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have joined the conversation in recent years.
They had all the tools; they had longevity.
But when asked to put all the tools together and identify the ultimate boxer, The Ledger's panel - including Showtime boxing analyst Al Bernstein, boxing historian Bert Sugar, boxing publicist Bill Caplan and Winter Haven trainer Tony Morgan - was unanimous.
Sugar Ray Robinson.
"He did more things well than any boxer in history," Bernstein said. "He was fast, powerful, clever and courageous. He had a great jab, great hook, good right hand and threw great combinations. He was also a good, but not perfect defensive fighter."
Robinson was so good, he knocked a guy out while moving backward.
Robinson was an international star as he was just as popular in France, where he lived for a while. In the United States, Robinson was honored with a postal stamp in 1996.
Born May 3, 1921, in Ailey Ga., as Walker Smith Jr., his family moved to New York when he was a teenager. It was in Harlem that he was introduced to boxing.
At 14, Smith wanted to enter a tournament but was told he needed to have an Amateur Athletic Union boxing card. He couldn't do that until he was 16, so he borrowed a friend's card. That friend was Ray Robinson.
As he progressed in the gym, his future coach, George Gainford, said the young boxer's style and fluid motions were "sweet like sugar." Thus, Sugar Ray Robinson was born.
Others would use the nickname "sugar," but Robinson owned it. After knocking out a boxer named Sugar George Costner in 1951, Robinson stood over the fallen fighter and asked, "Who's the real Sugar?"
His amateur record was a perfect 85-0 with 69 knockouts. He won the Golden Gloves featherweight championship in 1939 and the lightweight title in 1940 before turning pro.
For more than two decades, Robinson was the class of the welterweight and middleweight divisions. He had a 91-fight win streak. In his first 131 fights, he had one loss and two draws.
"He was flawless," said Sugar, the historian. "In his only loss to Jake LaMotta, he reversed that three weeks later. He was an unbelievable fighter."
Robinson captured the welterweight title in 1946 and held it until 1951. Later in 1951, he won the middleweight title. He retired in 1952 but came back and won the middleweight title again in 1955. He was the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times.
In all, Robinson fought for 26 years and finished his career 175-19-6 with two no-decisions. The word "pound-for-pound" fighter was created because of him.
Since his death in 1989, Robinson was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. In 1997, Ring magazine named him the best pound-for-pound boxer in history, while in 1999, the Associated Press named him the greatest welterweight and middleweight boxer of the century.
And what do those other great fighters think of all that?
Ali, Louis and Sugar Ray Leonard called Robinson their idol.
Leonard was quoted as saying, "Someone once said there was a comparison between Sugar Ray Leonard and Sugar Ray Robinson. Believe me, there's no comparison. Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest."
Source: theledger.com
Sabtu, 03 April 2010
Hopkins-Jones weigh-in -- Philadelphia Daily News
By BERNARD FERNANDEZ, Philadelphia Daily News
LAS VEGAS - As ancillary sporting events go, the boxing weigh-in is as exciting as watching paint dry. Two guys strip down to their skivvies and step on the scales to have their poundage officially determined. Usually, that's all there is to it.
Usually, but not always.
There have been some memorable moments in weigh-in history, generally involving emotionally wired fighters who feel an intrinsic need to add a touch of drama to even the dullest of formalities. Who can forget when the young Cassius Clay (you know him better as Muhammad Ali) was so manic during the weigh-in for his first bout with then-heavyweight champion Sonny Liston in Miami Beach that a ring physician checked his pulse on the spot and found it to be racing to such an extent that the challenger's health was said to be in the danger zone?
"This boy is scared to death," the good doctor told reporters. Not one of his better diagnoses.
The weigh-in for the Hector Camacho-Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini fight in Reno, Nev. - held at the ungodly local time of 2 a.m. as a compromise because the two men couldn't agree on the date - saw the exhibitionistic Camacho, on the pretext that he might be a couple of ounces over the limit, literally drop his drawers as he simultaneously advised the women in attendance to look away if they might be offended. In most settings, someone exposing himself like that might result in an arrest. The Macho Man got away with flashing as security personnel stood idly by. It was boxing, after all.
Then there was the time when Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins decided to spice his weigh-in the day before his fight with Winky Wright in Las Vegas by shoving Wright in the face, nearly precipitating a brawl on the stage. Hopkins drew a fine from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for that breach of conduct. Maybe he'd have fared better in the wee hours in Reno.
Perhaps because it was Hopkins (50-5-1, 32 KOs) and Roy Jones Jr. (54-6, 40 KOs), each prone to posturing, preening and occasionally pushing, a couple of thousand spectators showed up in the Mandalay Bay Events Center yesterday afternoon to see tonight's main-event fighters show off their impressive abs and talk the obligatory smack.
Before the principals arrived from separate directions, ring announcer Michael Buffer did an impromptu entrance poll.
"How many of you are for Roy Jones Jr.?" Buffer asked, with a majority of those in attendance sounding their approval on the applause meter for the Pensacola, Fla., native.
"How many are for Bernard Hopkins?" Buffer then asked, which drew a somewhat less enthusiastic response for the pride of North Philadelphia. In a town where sports gambling is legal, that can mean only one thing: More people had placed wagers on Jones, a 4-1 underdog.
The actual weigh-in wasn't as noteworthy as some have been involving the unfriendly fortysomethings. Hopkins hit the light-heavyweight limit of 175 pounds on the nose; Jones, wearing nothing but gray underwear and a multicolored watch cap, came in at 175 1/2.
"A half-pound over. No problem," Buffer told the crowd. "Usually a trip to the men's room takes care of that."
Jones thanked spectators for coming out, saying, "I took this chump a long time ago [in 1993], but now he got it coming again."
Hopkins declined the opportunity to speak, but, in keeping with his history for gag gifts, presented Jones with an Easter basket full of goodies. Jones gave it right back, peeking inside and saying, "It got Viagra, arthritis [medication] . . . old man stuff," which drew a few chuckles.
Jones had an hour to pare the disallowable half-pound, but he didn't need it. Off came the underwear and the watch cap, followed by another mounting of the scales before most fans had exited the arena. Buffer excitedly declared, "One seventy-five! We have a fight!"
In case you're wondering, members of Jones' support crew held up a towel in front of him so no one could see him in the altogether.
Who knew he was so modest? *
fernanb@phillynews.com
Source: philly.com
LAS VEGAS - As ancillary sporting events go, the boxing weigh-in is as exciting as watching paint dry. Two guys strip down to their skivvies and step on the scales to have their poundage officially determined. Usually, that's all there is to it.
Usually, but not always.There have been some memorable moments in weigh-in history, generally involving emotionally wired fighters who feel an intrinsic need to add a touch of drama to even the dullest of formalities. Who can forget when the young Cassius Clay (you know him better as Muhammad Ali) was so manic during the weigh-in for his first bout with then-heavyweight champion Sonny Liston in Miami Beach that a ring physician checked his pulse on the spot and found it to be racing to such an extent that the challenger's health was said to be in the danger zone?"This boy is scared to death," the good doctor told reporters. Not one of his better diagnoses.
The weigh-in for the Hector Camacho-Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini fight in Reno, Nev. - held at the ungodly local time of 2 a.m. as a compromise because the two men couldn't agree on the date - saw the exhibitionistic Camacho, on the pretext that he might be a couple of ounces over the limit, literally drop his drawers as he simultaneously advised the women in attendance to look away if they might be offended. In most settings, someone exposing himself like that might result in an arrest. The Macho Man got away with flashing as security personnel stood idly by. It was boxing, after all.
Then there was the time when Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins decided to spice his weigh-in the day before his fight with Winky Wright in Las Vegas by shoving Wright in the face, nearly precipitating a brawl on the stage. Hopkins drew a fine from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for that breach of conduct. Maybe he'd have fared better in the wee hours in Reno.
Perhaps because it was Hopkins (50-5-1, 32 KOs) and Roy Jones Jr. (54-6, 40 KOs), each prone to posturing, preening and occasionally pushing, a couple of thousand spectators showed up in the Mandalay Bay Events Center yesterday afternoon to see tonight's main-event fighters show off their impressive abs and talk the obligatory smack.
Before the principals arrived from separate directions, ring announcer Michael Buffer did an impromptu entrance poll.
"How many of you are for Roy Jones Jr.?" Buffer asked, with a majority of those in attendance sounding their approval on the applause meter for the Pensacola, Fla., native.
"How many are for Bernard Hopkins?" Buffer then asked, which drew a somewhat less enthusiastic response for the pride of North Philadelphia. In a town where sports gambling is legal, that can mean only one thing: More people had placed wagers on Jones, a 4-1 underdog.
The actual weigh-in wasn't as noteworthy as some have been involving the unfriendly fortysomethings. Hopkins hit the light-heavyweight limit of 175 pounds on the nose; Jones, wearing nothing but gray underwear and a multicolored watch cap, came in at 175 1/2.
"A half-pound over. No problem," Buffer told the crowd. "Usually a trip to the men's room takes care of that."
Jones thanked spectators for coming out, saying, "I took this chump a long time ago [in 1993], but now he got it coming again."
Hopkins declined the opportunity to speak, but, in keeping with his history for gag gifts, presented Jones with an Easter basket full of goodies. Jones gave it right back, peeking inside and saying, "It got Viagra, arthritis [medication] . . . old man stuff," which drew a few chuckles.
Jones had an hour to pare the disallowable half-pound, but he didn't need it. Off came the underwear and the watch cap, followed by another mounting of the scales before most fans had exited the arena. Buffer excitedly declared, "One seventy-five! We have a fight!"
In case you're wondering, members of Jones' support crew held up a towel in front of him so no one could see him in the altogether.
Who knew he was so modest? *
fernanb@phillynews.com
Source: philly.com
Haye on a one-man crusade to jazz up Heavies -- Mirror
By Barry Mcguigan, Mirror.co.uk
John Ruiz is David Haye's ticket to the stars, a perfect opportunity to electrify the heavyweight division.
Ruiz is one of the good guys in boxing. He appreciates what boxing has given him and treats the game with respect.
Given the limited history of Puerto Rican heavyweights, Ruiz has had a remarkable career, twice winning the world title.
But any idea he would be mentioned in the same breath as Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield were he to beat David Haye tonight is ridiculous.
As much as I like Ruiz he has never impressed me as a fighter. He is underpowered and ponderous.
His principal strength has been to make others look awful. And that was when he was at his peak. Now, with his famed durability waning, he looks ready to go.
He has been stopped only once in his career, a crushing 19-second KO 14 years back by David Tua.
Haye does not have Tua's outright power but he has enough and he is a million times quicker. I can see this ending early. Haye needs an early check-out to enhance his box-office standing.
Haye is engaged in a one-man crusade to jazz up boxing's shop window. The trash talk he rattles off at the Klitschko brothers is calculated to spike interest.
Every Ali needs a Joe Frazier, every George Foreman a Ken Norton. Haye knows he needs the Klitschkos to make his name and his fortune.
The brothers also know they need Haye. The idea both might fight him is a gift for the big American broadcasters desperate for a new story to tell. The division is as flat as a pancake, or in the case of Eddie Chambers, as fat as a pat-a-cake. There is no future in world title bouts featuring the likes of him.
Wladimir Klitschko finally put him away in the last round with a terrific shot. That the fight lasted that long says more about Klitschko than Chambers.
Haye is a throwback to the old tradition of the 220lbs heavyweight. At 15st 10lbs he would have been perfect for the Seventies golden era.
Ali, Frazier, Mike Tyson and even George Foreman in his early days campaigned around that weight, allowing them to combine speed and power to best effect.
The super heavy period begun by Riddick Bowe and Lennox Lewis ran aground in the shape of Nikolai Valuev.
Don King knew what he was doing praising Haye to the skies after his victory over the big Russian.
He saw the future there and then, the East v West shootout. The looming battle with the Klitschkos can be seen as a battle for the future of the sport; the 21st Century super tanker heavy versus the traditional heavy of the division's Seventies heyday.
Haye seems well suited to the heavier weight since moving up from cruiser.
He does not look as ripped but the extra pounds have enhanced the resistance lacking when having to make weight.
Manny Pacquiao was dropped plenty at super bantam and featherweight, but none can budge him at welterweight.
Haye has yet to answer all the questions about his stamina, but rocking Valuev late on will have given him a lot of confidence.
I'm taking Haye to get after Ruiz early and look great doing so. Watch out for that big KO and with it take-off for the next British boxing superstar.
Source: mirror.co.uk
John Ruiz is David Haye's ticket to the stars, a perfect opportunity to electrify the heavyweight division.
Ruiz is one of the good guys in boxing. He appreciates what boxing has given him and treats the game with respect.
Given the limited history of Puerto Rican heavyweights, Ruiz has had a remarkable career, twice winning the world title.
But any idea he would be mentioned in the same breath as Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield were he to beat David Haye tonight is ridiculous.As much as I like Ruiz he has never impressed me as a fighter. He is underpowered and ponderous.
His principal strength has been to make others look awful. And that was when he was at his peak. Now, with his famed durability waning, he looks ready to go.
He has been stopped only once in his career, a crushing 19-second KO 14 years back by David Tua.Haye does not have Tua's outright power but he has enough and he is a million times quicker. I can see this ending early. Haye needs an early check-out to enhance his box-office standing.
Haye is engaged in a one-man crusade to jazz up boxing's shop window. The trash talk he rattles off at the Klitschko brothers is calculated to spike interest.
Every Ali needs a Joe Frazier, every George Foreman a Ken Norton. Haye knows he needs the Klitschkos to make his name and his fortune.
The brothers also know they need Haye. The idea both might fight him is a gift for the big American broadcasters desperate for a new story to tell. The division is as flat as a pancake, or in the case of Eddie Chambers, as fat as a pat-a-cake. There is no future in world title bouts featuring the likes of him.
Wladimir Klitschko finally put him away in the last round with a terrific shot. That the fight lasted that long says more about Klitschko than Chambers.
Haye is a throwback to the old tradition of the 220lbs heavyweight. At 15st 10lbs he would have been perfect for the Seventies golden era.
Ali, Frazier, Mike Tyson and even George Foreman in his early days campaigned around that weight, allowing them to combine speed and power to best effect.
The super heavy period begun by Riddick Bowe and Lennox Lewis ran aground in the shape of Nikolai Valuev.
Don King knew what he was doing praising Haye to the skies after his victory over the big Russian.
He saw the future there and then, the East v West shootout. The looming battle with the Klitschkos can be seen as a battle for the future of the sport; the 21st Century super tanker heavy versus the traditional heavy of the division's Seventies heyday.
Haye seems well suited to the heavier weight since moving up from cruiser.
He does not look as ripped but the extra pounds have enhanced the resistance lacking when having to make weight.
Manny Pacquiao was dropped plenty at super bantam and featherweight, but none can budge him at welterweight.
Haye has yet to answer all the questions about his stamina, but rocking Valuev late on will have given him a lot of confidence.
I'm taking Haye to get after Ruiz early and look great doing so. Watch out for that big KO and with it take-off for the next British boxing superstar.
Source: mirror.co.uk
Jumat, 02 April 2010
Ruiz fires David Haye warning -- ESPN Star
ESPNStar.com
John Ruiz has warned David Haye that he is perfectly placed to regain his WBA world heavyweight title.
Victory over Haye at the MEN Arena on Saturday night would see Ruiz join all-time greats Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield in winning a portion of the title for a third time.
The 38-year-old American, who has held the WBA belt twice before, is ranked as the underdog but refuses to consider anything other than beginning a new reign as world champion.
"My family are always there for me - my brothers, my mother," he said.
"With support like that and my personal life going as beautifully as ever, I feel like I'm complete.
"I feel like I'm on top of the world and that no one can knock me down. That's what I'm here to prove.
"That's my personality. My personality is to go out and try and win every fight."
Ruiz, known as the 'Quietman', has earned respect this week for his professionalism and hopes his legacy to boxing will be his dignified conduct.
"Boxing is a business...maybe if I did more talking when I started I'd be a billionaire by now. Who knows? But that's who I am and I don't want to change it," he said.
"At the end of my career I want people to describe me as a proud fighter who brought honour to the sport.
"I've fought everyone in the world and take pride in that. I never stepped aside."
Source: espnstar.com
John Ruiz has warned David Haye that he is perfectly placed to regain his WBA world heavyweight title.
Victory over Haye at the MEN Arena on Saturday night would see Ruiz join all-time greats Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield in winning a portion of the title for a third time.
The 38-year-old American, who has held the WBA belt twice before, is ranked as the underdog but refuses to consider anything other than beginning a new reign as world champion.
"My family are always there for me - my brothers, my mother," he said."With support like that and my personal life going as beautifully as ever, I feel like I'm complete.
"I feel like I'm on top of the world and that no one can knock me down. That's what I'm here to prove."I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I could win. There's no point thinking any other way, if I did then I'd go home.
"That's my personality. My personality is to go out and try and win every fight."
Ruiz, known as the 'Quietman', has earned respect this week for his professionalism and hopes his legacy to boxing will be his dignified conduct.
"Boxing is a business...maybe if I did more talking when I started I'd be a billionaire by now. Who knows? But that's who I am and I don't want to change it," he said.
"At the end of my career I want people to describe me as a proud fighter who brought honour to the sport.
"I've fought everyone in the world and take pride in that. I never stepped aside."
Source: espnstar.com
Kamis, 01 April 2010
John Ruiz is Back For Another Title Shot Against David Haye -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
John Ruiz will be in the 12th title fight of a career that has spanned nearly 18 years when he enters the ring on Saturday night opposite WBA heavyweight champion, David Haye, of England before Haye's partisan, British fans at M.E.N. Arena, in Manchester.
Evander Holyfield is the sport's lone four-time heavyweight champion.
"It is going to work this time," said Ruiz. "No matter what they say, they can't take it away from me."
Ruiz considers it a plus that he has fought six times in England, winning every time, with five knockiouts.
"I've fought here six times. These fans put favoritism behind them and root for a good fight. I've fought everybody in the world, never avoiding anybody," said Ruiz. "I'm very proud of that. I've traveled the world, and boxing has been a savior for me."
There was a unanimous decision over Cordell Hylton in November of 1993, followed by a fourth-round knockout of Julius Francis in May of '94.
In '95, Ruiz scored respective stoppages of Jack Basting, Michael Murray, and, Derrick Roddy, in one, four, and two rounds, and there was his third-round knockout of Yuri Yelistratov in November of '96.
The brash, and, trash-talking Haye is immensely popular in England.
"[Haye] still isn't well known in the United States. [His popularity] is still in the beginning. His name is spreading around, but he needs to face somebody who's been in the heavyweight division, and that's me," said Ruiz.
"He can talk all he wants, but he knows he's in a tough fight. I don't focus on the other fighter, I focus on myself," said Ruiz. "Experience plays an important part, but so does youth. He's going to prepare himself and use the style he believes will win the fight. We'll see what comes out on top."
Being of Puerto Rican decent, Ruiz is the only Latino to have won a heavyweight title. Ruiz is also among the last four Americans to have held a version of the heavyweight belt, dethroning Holyfield for that honor.
In June of 2007, Shannon Briggs was briefly the WBO champion, this, two years after Ruiz was WBA king in 2005. In 2006, Hasim Rahman and Chris Byrd, respectively, were titlists with the WBC, and, IBF.
Haye recently dethroned Russia's seven foot Nicolay Valuev to earn the WBA crown, and 38-year-old Vitali Klitschko (39-2, 37 KOs), holds the WBC belt.
Klitschko's 33-year-old brother, Wladimir Klitschko (53-3, 47 knockouts), is the IBF and WBO champion. The younger Klitschko is riding a streak of 12-0, with nine knockouts -- including stoppages in his past four bouts -- since a fifth-round knockout loss to Lamon Brewster in April of 2004.
"I was born in the United States and my family is Puerto Rican. I'm a Puerto Rican-American. I've accomplished a lot during my career," said Ruiz. "I am the first Hispanic world heavyweight champion. But I'm an American, and I'm bringing the belt back home."
Ruiz brings a new enthusiasm into his match up with Haye, who became the first former cruiser weight (200 pounds) since Holyfield to win a heavyweight title.
Long maligned for what was often described as a boring, if not effective, "Jab-and-Grab" style, Ruiz claims to be more versatile under new head trainer, Miguel Diaz.
"I have a new team of trainers Miguel Diaz, and, Richie Sandoval. And I have a new promoter, Golden Boy [Promotions.] But there are still some people who've been part of the team for a long time," said Ruiz.
"You're seeing more of the Ruiz from the past -- boxing and punching, not holding," said Ruiz. "How many guys can say they have fought and won the two world heavyweight championships? I'm at peace, blessed with my family, and I've never been in tune with boxing like this during my career."
Ruiz's is a career that has risen up and down so many times, as if like a a yo-yo. Better yet, he has often rebounded like a rubber ball that has been slammed against a wall yet continues to return.
There were split-decision losses in his 15th, and, 20th professional bouts to Sergei Kobozev, and, Danell Nicholson, respectively, in August of '93, and, August of '94.
There was Ruiz's 19-second, first-round stoppage loss to David Tua in his 28th professional fight in March of '96.
Ruiz dropped an August of 2000, unanimous decision to Holyfield for the vacant WBA heavyweight title, only to reverse that verdict in March of 2001, and then, to retain the title six months later with a draw opposite Holyfield.
After one defense, however, Ruiz lost the crown in March of 2003, when Roy Jones rose from light heavyweight (175 pounds) to dethrone him as WBA king.
There would be yet another comeback for Ruiz, however, nine months later in his very next fight, when he regained the WBA title by unanimous decision over former world champion Rahman, a former Lennox Lewis-conqueror.
Ruiz defended that crown twice, the second time, in November of 2004, literally having to rise from the canvas two times before claiming a unanimous decision over Andrew Golota.
But misfortune would befall Ruiz, yet again, in his very next bout -- an October, 2005 loss to James Toney, who was subsequently stripped of the crown after testing positive for steroids.
Ruiz lost twice more in WBA title bouts to the seven-foot, 300-plus pound Valuev, respectively, by majority, and, unanimous decision, in December of 2005, and, August of 2008.
It matters not to Ruiz that, in defeating Valuev, Haye accomplished what neither he nor Holyfield could.
"I was surprised that [David Haye] got a decision [over Valuev] in Germany. Luck was on his side. I congratulate him. He did what he had to do and got the win. Holyfield's a legend. I can't compare them today," said Ruiz of Holyfield, loser of a December, 2008, majority decision to Valuev.
Every fight is difficult because everybody comes to win. That's what makes boxing special," said Ruiz. "But we're still here, and, hopefully this time around, we'll get a win."
Source: news.google.com
John Ruiz will be in the 12th title fight of a career that has spanned nearly 18 years when he enters the ring on Saturday night opposite WBA heavyweight champion, David Haye, of England before Haye's partisan, British fans at M.E.N. Arena, in Manchester.
A 38-year-old resident of Chelsea, Mass., Ruiz (44-8-1, 30 knockouts) will be attempting to win a crown for the third time when he faces the 29-year-old Haye (23-1, 21 KOs), a feat accomplished by men such as Lennox Lewis and Muhammad Ali
.
.Evander Holyfield is the sport's lone four-time heavyweight champion.
"It is going to work this time," said Ruiz. "No matter what they say, they can't take it away from me.""I've fought here six times. These fans put favoritism behind them and root for a good fight. I've fought everybody in the world, never avoiding anybody," said Ruiz. "I'm very proud of that. I've traveled the world, and boxing has been a savior for me."
There was a unanimous decision over Cordell Hylton in November of 1993, followed by a fourth-round knockout of Julius Francis in May of '94.
In '95, Ruiz scored respective stoppages of Jack Basting, Michael Murray, and, Derrick Roddy, in one, four, and two rounds, and there was his third-round knockout of Yuri Yelistratov in November of '96.
The brash, and, trash-talking Haye is immensely popular in England.
"[Haye] still isn't well known in the United States. [His popularity] is still in the beginning. His name is spreading around, but he needs to face somebody who's been in the heavyweight division, and that's me," said Ruiz.
"He can talk all he wants, but he knows he's in a tough fight. I don't focus on the other fighter, I focus on myself," said Ruiz. "Experience plays an important part, but so does youth. He's going to prepare himself and use the style he believes will win the fight. We'll see what comes out on top."
Being of Puerto Rican decent, Ruiz is the only Latino to have won a heavyweight title. Ruiz is also among the last four Americans to have held a version of the heavyweight belt, dethroning Holyfield for that honor.
In June of 2007, Shannon Briggs was briefly the WBO champion, this, two years after Ruiz was WBA king in 2005. In 2006, Hasim Rahman and Chris Byrd, respectively, were titlists with the WBC, and, IBF.
Haye recently dethroned Russia's seven foot Nicolay Valuev to earn the WBA crown, and 38-year-old Vitali Klitschko (39-2, 37 KOs), holds the WBC belt.
Klitschko's 33-year-old brother, Wladimir Klitschko (53-3, 47 knockouts), is the IBF and WBO champion. The younger Klitschko is riding a streak of 12-0, with nine knockouts -- including stoppages in his past four bouts -- since a fifth-round knockout loss to Lamon Brewster in April of 2004.
"I was born in the United States and my family is Puerto Rican. I'm a Puerto Rican-American. I've accomplished a lot during my career," said Ruiz. "I am the first Hispanic world heavyweight champion. But I'm an American, and I'm bringing the belt back home."
Ruiz brings a new enthusiasm into his match up with Haye, who became the first former cruiser weight (200 pounds) since Holyfield to win a heavyweight title.
Long maligned for what was often described as a boring, if not effective, "Jab-and-Grab" style, Ruiz claims to be more versatile under new head trainer, Miguel Diaz.
"I have a new team of trainers Miguel Diaz, and, Richie Sandoval. And I have a new promoter, Golden Boy [Promotions.] But there are still some people who've been part of the team for a long time," said Ruiz.
"You're seeing more of the Ruiz from the past -- boxing and punching, not holding," said Ruiz. "How many guys can say they have fought and won the two world heavyweight championships? I'm at peace, blessed with my family, and I've never been in tune with boxing like this during my career."
Ruiz's is a career that has risen up and down so many times, as if like a a yo-yo. Better yet, he has often rebounded like a rubber ball that has been slammed against a wall yet continues to return.
There were split-decision losses in his 15th, and, 20th professional bouts to Sergei Kobozev, and, Danell Nicholson, respectively, in August of '93, and, August of '94.
There was Ruiz's 19-second, first-round stoppage loss to David Tua in his 28th professional fight in March of '96.
Ruiz dropped an August of 2000, unanimous decision to Holyfield for the vacant WBA heavyweight title, only to reverse that verdict in March of 2001, and then, to retain the title six months later with a draw opposite Holyfield.
After one defense, however, Ruiz lost the crown in March of 2003, when Roy Jones rose from light heavyweight (175 pounds) to dethrone him as WBA king.
There would be yet another comeback for Ruiz, however, nine months later in his very next fight, when he regained the WBA title by unanimous decision over former world champion Rahman, a former Lennox Lewis-conqueror.
Ruiz defended that crown twice, the second time, in November of 2004, literally having to rise from the canvas two times before claiming a unanimous decision over Andrew Golota.
But misfortune would befall Ruiz, yet again, in his very next bout -- an October, 2005 loss to James Toney, who was subsequently stripped of the crown after testing positive for steroids.
Ruiz lost twice more in WBA title bouts to the seven-foot, 300-plus pound Valuev, respectively, by majority, and, unanimous decision, in December of 2005, and, August of 2008.
It matters not to Ruiz that, in defeating Valuev, Haye accomplished what neither he nor Holyfield could.
"I was surprised that [David Haye] got a decision [over Valuev] in Germany. Luck was on his side. I congratulate him. He did what he had to do and got the win. Holyfield's a legend. I can't compare them today," said Ruiz of Holyfield, loser of a December, 2008, majority decision to Valuev.
Every fight is difficult because everybody comes to win. That's what makes boxing special," said Ruiz. "But we're still here, and, hopefully this time around, we'll get a win."
Source: news.google.com
Selasa, 30 Maret 2010
Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield And...John Ruiz? -- The Sweet Science
By Ron Borges, The Sweet Science
The great fear in heavyweight boxing is that David Haye turns out to not be what people hope he is. Or, putting the boxing boot on the other foot, that two-time WBA champion John Ruiz does turn out to be what they fear he is.
No one fears the 38-year-old former champion in the way they feared Mike Tyson
or Evander Holyfield. Not like they did an aging and well-faded but still dangerous Joe Louis or Muhammad Ali. They don’t so much fear what he can do to an opponent as they fear what he can make an opponent do to himself. While that is a form of fear, it’s not a terribly marketable form of it.
Stylistically awkward, tougher to negotiate than 20 miles of detours and armed with a chin that refuses to turn on him (or turn his lights out), Ruiz is what heavyweight boxing doesn’t need at the moment. He’s a problem.
Through various maneuverings, legal threats and sheer perseverance, Ruiz has survived nearly 20 years as a professional prize fighter and Saturday will try to use all he has learned while wending his way to two tours as WBA champion to undress, frustrate and ultimately defeat the young British champion David Haye, who is everything Ruiz is not.
Ruiz’s nickname is “The Quiet Man.’’ The bellicose David Haye will never be called “The Quiet Man.’’ He is not a big puncher. Haye has 19 KOs among his 22 victories. He is not a particularly striking physical specimen. Haye looks like Holyfield on steroids. (Aside: Is that an oxymoron? Just asking.)
But for all that Ruiz is not there are several things he is and that is why HBO never wanted to stage a heavyweight tournament while he was a belt holder and why everyone with a stake in heavyweight boxing is petrified about what could happen Saturday night at MEN Arena in Manchester, England.
Ruiz is dogged. He is also tough in an old-fashioned way. He is willing to absorb punishment to wear you down. He is, according to Holyfield, far stronger than outsiders understand and punches harder than you might imagine. Hasim Rahman found that out with one body shot and refused to let his hands go the rest of the night, losing a fight the world concluded he would easily win.
Incredibly, he’s also one victory away from joining Ali and Holyfield as three-time heavyweight champions. Did you ever think there would be a reason to put those three names in the same sentence when the subject was heavyweight boxing champions?
The latter is a measure of Haye’s problem. Ruiz will not go quietly into that good night of fistic retirement. No one can quite believe he’s still around but the fact is he’s had more heavyweight title fights than Jack Dempsey or Rocky Marciano, has not been close to being stopped since the night David Tua caught him with an unexpected punch seconds into their match and laid him low and has learned both how to avoid taking dangerous risks while wearing down an opponent until he becomes mentally sapped and simply concedes winning isn’t worth the trouble.
Truth be told, that short night with Tua was the spawning ground for the stab-and-grab style that made Ruiz a two-time champion but also the enemy of fight fans and cable television executives because of its unpleasant viewing experience. Yet for all his stylistic disappointments, Ruiz fights in the way that works for him and most of the time he imposes that style on his opponents, forcing them to engage in a wrestling match most of them can’t win rather than a boxing match he can’t win. That is a skill in itself, although neither a pleasing one nor one that is much appreciated these days.
Case in point was that Ruiz could easily have been given the victory against Nikolai Valuev to make him a three-time champion when they squared off in Germany several years ago because while he didn’t do a lot he did more than the giant from Russian. That night the highly partisan German crowd in Berlin booed the announcement that Valuev had been given that decision and rightfully so. Ruiz won the fight. He just didn’t get the win.
None of that means he can beat Haye, who is younger, faster of hand and foot, more powerful and cocksure of himself. Many boxing experts, including the great trainer Freddie Roach, are urging him to come out and attack Ruiz from the opening bell, looking to stun him early and take him out in the kind of spectacular way that would create a big-money unification fight with one of the Klitschko brothers.
The Klitschkos presently hold three of the four major belts, with Haye having snared the WBA title from Valuev in a lackluster performance in which he was unexpectedly docile but he is still widely seen as the man most likely to pump life back into the long dormant heavyweight division.
He failed to do it against Valuev, staying on the outside and landing his jab and then tying up the bigger but ponderously slower Valuev in a safety first approach Ruiz would have been proud to call his own because it tied Valuev in knots while also tying a title belt around Haye’s waist, which in the end is still the first goal of boxing.
But if Haye tries a similar approach against Ruiz he will be booed out of the arena and may find himself enveloped in a cocoon of horror, as Peter McNeely might put it. Then again, attack Ruiz too wildly and he may get countered the way Holyfield did when Ruiz dropped him for one of the few times in Holyfield’s career or the way he stunned Rahman and Kirk Johnson, basically convincing both it was easier to submit and quit fighting than risk repeating the pain of what they’d felt.
If Ruiz’s hand is raised it is not 100 per cent sure than even his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, will be thrilled about it because De La Hoya, in the best tradition of Don King, also has the American promotional rights to Haye. You don’t have to be P.T. Barnum to know which of the two is more promotable.
In a sense, De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions wins no matter which fighter does but it wins big if Haye looks spectacular. It wins control of the WBA title if Ruiz wins but what then? The Klitschkos want no part of the problems he represents, they being more interested in risk reward ratios than most insurance companies. That is especially true of young Wladimir, who is easily daunted by someone who would fight him like a heavy drapery, as Ruiz would.
So while there are many things to be unsure of about Saturday night’s Haye-Ruiz heavyweight duel one thing is as clear as a bell. If when the last one sounds they raise the hand of John Ruiz and name him heavyweight champion for the third time a lot of people in boxing will have seen their worst fears materialize…for the third time.
Source: thesweetscience.com
The great fear in heavyweight boxing is that David Haye turns out to not be what people hope he is. Or, putting the boxing boot on the other foot, that two-time WBA champion John Ruiz does turn out to be what they fear he is.
No one fears the 38-year-old former champion in the way they feared Mike Tyson or Evander Holyfield. Not like they did an aging and well-faded but still dangerous Joe Louis or Muhammad Ali. They don’t so much fear what he can do to an opponent as they fear what he can make an opponent do to himself. While that is a form of fear, it’s not a terribly marketable form of it.Stylistically awkward, tougher to negotiate than 20 miles of detours and armed with a chin that refuses to turn on him (or turn his lights out), Ruiz is what heavyweight boxing doesn’t need at the moment. He’s a problem.
Through various maneuverings, legal threats and sheer perseverance, Ruiz has survived nearly 20 years as a professional prize fighter and Saturday will try to use all he has learned while wending his way to two tours as WBA champion to undress, frustrate and ultimately defeat the young British champion David Haye, who is everything Ruiz is not.
Ruiz’s nickname is “The Quiet Man.’’ The bellicose David Haye will never be called “The Quiet Man.’’ He is not a big puncher. Haye has 19 KOs among his 22 victories. He is not a particularly striking physical specimen. Haye looks like Holyfield on steroids. (Aside: Is that an oxymoron? Just asking.)
But for all that Ruiz is not there are several things he is and that is why HBO never wanted to stage a heavyweight tournament while he was a belt holder and why everyone with a stake in heavyweight boxing is petrified about what could happen Saturday night at MEN Arena in Manchester, England.
Ruiz is dogged. He is also tough in an old-fashioned way. He is willing to absorb punishment to wear you down. He is, according to Holyfield, far stronger than outsiders understand and punches harder than you might imagine. Hasim Rahman found that out with one body shot and refused to let his hands go the rest of the night, losing a fight the world concluded he would easily win.
Incredibly, he’s also one victory away from joining Ali and Holyfield as three-time heavyweight champions. Did you ever think there would be a reason to put those three names in the same sentence when the subject was heavyweight boxing champions?
The latter is a measure of Haye’s problem. Ruiz will not go quietly into that good night of fistic retirement. No one can quite believe he’s still around but the fact is he’s had more heavyweight title fights than Jack Dempsey or Rocky Marciano, has not been close to being stopped since the night David Tua caught him with an unexpected punch seconds into their match and laid him low and has learned both how to avoid taking dangerous risks while wearing down an opponent until he becomes mentally sapped and simply concedes winning isn’t worth the trouble.
Truth be told, that short night with Tua was the spawning ground for the stab-and-grab style that made Ruiz a two-time champion but also the enemy of fight fans and cable television executives because of its unpleasant viewing experience. Yet for all his stylistic disappointments, Ruiz fights in the way that works for him and most of the time he imposes that style on his opponents, forcing them to engage in a wrestling match most of them can’t win rather than a boxing match he can’t win. That is a skill in itself, although neither a pleasing one nor one that is much appreciated these days.
Case in point was that Ruiz could easily have been given the victory against Nikolai Valuev to make him a three-time champion when they squared off in Germany several years ago because while he didn’t do a lot he did more than the giant from Russian. That night the highly partisan German crowd in Berlin booed the announcement that Valuev had been given that decision and rightfully so. Ruiz won the fight. He just didn’t get the win.
None of that means he can beat Haye, who is younger, faster of hand and foot, more powerful and cocksure of himself. Many boxing experts, including the great trainer Freddie Roach, are urging him to come out and attack Ruiz from the opening bell, looking to stun him early and take him out in the kind of spectacular way that would create a big-money unification fight with one of the Klitschko brothers.
The Klitschkos presently hold three of the four major belts, with Haye having snared the WBA title from Valuev in a lackluster performance in which he was unexpectedly docile but he is still widely seen as the man most likely to pump life back into the long dormant heavyweight division.
He failed to do it against Valuev, staying on the outside and landing his jab and then tying up the bigger but ponderously slower Valuev in a safety first approach Ruiz would have been proud to call his own because it tied Valuev in knots while also tying a title belt around Haye’s waist, which in the end is still the first goal of boxing.
But if Haye tries a similar approach against Ruiz he will be booed out of the arena and may find himself enveloped in a cocoon of horror, as Peter McNeely might put it. Then again, attack Ruiz too wildly and he may get countered the way Holyfield did when Ruiz dropped him for one of the few times in Holyfield’s career or the way he stunned Rahman and Kirk Johnson, basically convincing both it was easier to submit and quit fighting than risk repeating the pain of what they’d felt.
If Ruiz’s hand is raised it is not 100 per cent sure than even his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, will be thrilled about it because De La Hoya, in the best tradition of Don King, also has the American promotional rights to Haye. You don’t have to be P.T. Barnum to know which of the two is more promotable.
In a sense, De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions wins no matter which fighter does but it wins big if Haye looks spectacular. It wins control of the WBA title if Ruiz wins but what then? The Klitschkos want no part of the problems he represents, they being more interested in risk reward ratios than most insurance companies. That is especially true of young Wladimir, who is easily daunted by someone who would fight him like a heavy drapery, as Ruiz would.
So while there are many things to be unsure of about Saturday night’s Haye-Ruiz heavyweight duel one thing is as clear as a bell. If when the last one sounds they raise the hand of John Ruiz and name him heavyweight champion for the third time a lot of people in boxing will have seen their worst fears materialize…for the third time.
Source: thesweetscience.com
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