Pacquiao’s supporters (above) cheer him on against De La Hoya.

BY: Robert Epstein www.diamondboxing.com

With victories over Marquez, Diaz and De La Hoya and the title of current pound for pound champion all accomplished in the twenty ninth stanza of his life. Pacquiao now looks ahead to his thirties and the final stages of his boxing career. Not to leave doubt in any ones mind that Pacquiao deserves to be listed as one of The Greatest Boxers of all Time he will now take on Ricky Hatton.  Forget about any rumors of bouts with Kendall Holt or Zab Judah these make no sense or no money and will do Pacquiao no justice. A pound for pound champ wants to fight the best and the best name out there right now is Ricky Hatton. A Hatton – Pacquiao bout if held in the U.K. will break all of the boxing attendance records. However, as negations enter the final stages it appears that the bout will take place in Las Vegas in order to achieve the best economic results.  

While Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton will due their battling inside the ring some time in May 2009, the fans of these two boxing warriors have already begun to square off outside the ring. The message boards the rebuttals, the polls have already started to heat up. The pre fight hype is on and the fan comradery alone will be a battle in it’s self.

Pacquiao with his aggressive boxing style, his offensive approach, always on the attack mentality makes him fan friendly and his recent destruction of De La Hoya has added believers to The Pacman Nation. If you add in Pacquiao’s kind hearted good deeds along with his generosity it becomes very difficult not to be a fan. Pacman has his country of 91 million strong behind him and with the additional support around the globe growing by leaps and bounds Pacman Nation is at its peak stronger than ever. Pacman Nation is ready to take on the Hatton Cult.  

Hatton (above) greets thousands of his fans at the MGM in Vegas before the Malginaggi bout.  

Hatton by far is the leading box office draw, without a doubt if this bout was held at Wembly Stadium 100,000 strong will come and maybe the stadium attendance record of 126,047 could be challenged. When Hatton fights no matter if its home in England or in his second home Vegas the cult comes out. In his last two Vegas bouts against Mayweather and Malignaggi the Hatton following hit the Vegas desert in droves, by the tens of thousands. The pre-fight weigh-in-in is an event in it’s self with over 6,000 Hattonnites strong. Oh yes Hatton has his own Elvis and lets not forget his brass band.

The interest in this bout has already reached a fever pitch, the bout has not been officially announced and the entire boxing world is buzzing with Pacquiao – Hatton thoughts. Pacquiao who has been installed as the 2 to 5 betting favorite to win the bout will also be the global fan favorite. However with his traveling army Hatton for sure will still have the larger on-site fan support.

De La Hoya (above) slumped in the corner at the end of the eighth round

As Pacman journeys to another era in his career one has to reflect back on the amazing past year Pacquiao had, fresh in the minds of all is Pacquiao’s destruction of the Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya. Yes it was destruction from the opening bell to the lasting image of De La Hoya slumped on his stool in the corner at the end of the eighth round. That image will play in my mind for a long time as it wasn’t the end of De La Hoya’s career that I am thinking about but the beginning of Manny’s. I know Pacquiao has been boxing for over thirteen years, I know he has 48 victories and only 3 losses, I know he beat the likes of Barrera, Marquez and Morales all who may have been better boxers than De La Hoya. However, it’s the De La Hoya conquering that catapulted Manny as one of The Greatest Boxers of all Time.

Now Hatton must go face to face with the career ending giant Paquiao, if Pacquiao can achieve the same results and crush Hatton in De La Hoya like fashion Hatton’s cult will also be retired.

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BOXING NEWS www.diamondboxing.com

 

BY: Diane Bennett

On December 11 the newly built Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey was christened with a boxing classic. Steve Cunningham put his IBF cruiserweight championship belt on the line against number one challenger Tomasz Adamek. After 12 grueling rounds of amazing action in which both fighters left every single ounce of their energy in the ring it was Adamek prevailing by split decision. However, it was Cunningham who was the aggressor through – out the bout, firing more punches but only to have them absorbed by the   steel chin of Adamek. At points when it appeared that Adamek was wilting to the Cunningham punishment, he would dig deep and find away to land shots of his own, three of those shots landed Cunningham to the canvas. Cunningham immediately got up after each knockdown which occurred in the second, forth and eighth rounds. As Cunningham would say afterwards “All the knockdowns were flash knockdowns to me. I was not really hurt” In the forth round in particular it looked like the champ was going to put Adamek away. Cunningham was demolishing Adamek with an onslaught of blows for the first two minutes or so of the round then with twenty second left Adamek roared backed and nailed Cunningham with a shot sending him to the canvas. The fight had the same theme all the way until the final bell.    

As soon as the final bell sounded the first thought that I had was when will the rematch take place. Boxing fans should not have to wait more than the required time for these two cruiserweight gladiators to climb through the ropes and do it again.

Very few survive three knockdowns and are able to finish the bout let alone receive a favorable decision from the judges. In this case many experts believed that Cunningham’ who threw more punches and connected more frequently was deserving of at least a draw. The judges felt differently with only one of the three giving the nod to Cunningham. Judge Clark Sammartino scored the bout 114 – 112 for Cunningham, while John Stewart had it 116 -110 and Shafeeq Rashada 115-112 for Adamek.

As the dust settled and the massive amount of Polish fans that were in attendance to cheer on their new champion emptied the Rock, both fighters were greeting the press in the post fight conference room. This post fight conference had a tune to it, even before Cunningham who was first to speak could utter a word the hundred or so media in attendance shouted REMATCH, REMATCH. That remained the constant during the conference and Cunningham without hesitation stated that is exactly what he wants. On the other hand Adamek was non comitial.

A week has gone by now and all the reports have been printed, each boxing expert had the fight scored within one point either way and all agreed that an immediate rematch needs to happen. Many went further to say that this was the fight of the year. One thing is for sure USS Cunningham already has the gloves laced and is ready to go. Now it’s up to Adamek and the powers to be to give the fans what they want to see now Cunningham – Adamek II.

BOXING NEWS www.diamondboxing.com

 

Photo Credit - Gianluca (Rio) Di Caro

De La Hoya and Pacquiao Kick off the “Dream Match” at the Statue of Liberty

BY: Rick Assad - After what transpired between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya inside the ring at the MGM Grand Garden Arena this Saturday night, it became apparent to the 15,001 fans in attendance and those watching on pay-per-view, the Golden Boy has likely fought for the final time.

The relentless pounding that Pacquiao rendered over eight rounds during their non-title welterweight match, and the manner in which De La Hoya left the ring, his only decision can be “no mas.” Anything else would be futile.

“I was able to defend his jab,” said Pacquiao, considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.”I was connecting with everything. He was connecting with nothing. Speed was the answer to this fight.”

Once great and formidable, the 35-year-old De La Hoya looked old, out-of-shape and tired when trainer Nacho Beristan called a halt to the fight prior to the ninth round. De La Hoya’s left eye was practically closed, and his face looked pained.

“I stopped the fight because I didn’t want him to leave his greatness in the ring,” said Beristan.”Oscar was in good condition, but he couldn’t control Manny’s southpaw stance or style. He wasn’t able to stop him. He just didn’t seem to have the strength tonight.”

The beating De La Hoya absorbed, especially in the seventh round, should tell the one-time Olympic gold medal champion that his time is over.

“I am not shocked because at this stage, when you face someone like Manny Pacquiao, you know you are going to be in a fight,” De La Hoya said. “I worked and trained really hard for this fight, but as I have told everyone, it is a totally different story when you get in the ring.”

De La Hoya went on: “My style is to go forward, but he was boxing on his toes all night and waiting for me to make my mistake. I just didn’t have the strength to stop him and my body did not respond.”

Don’t feel too sorry for the 10-time world champ in four weight divisions. With Golden Boy Promotions the industry leader, the company will be solvent for years to come.

The same, however, couldn’t be said for De La Hoya, who landed 21 percent of his punches (83 of 402), 13 percent of his jabs (32 of 238), 31 percent of his power punches (51 of 164), and was taken to a local hospital as a precaution after suffering the worst loss in his distinguished 17-year-career.

Then again, the last few years haven’t been kind to De La Hoya (39-6-0 and 30 knockouts), who once had brilliant hand speed and extraordinary footwork.

In May at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, De La Hoya won a unanimous decision over lightly-regarded Steve Forbes.

Despite that, after the fight, De La Hoya had obvious puffiness around his eyes. He even looked slow, and couldn’t floor the heavy underdog.

Mind you, this was against Forbes, who would never be compared to a world-class fighter like Pacquiao (48-3-2 and 36 KO’s).

A year earlier at the same MGM Grand Garden ring, De La Hoya had a close bout with undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr., for the World Boxing Council super welterweight belt, but walked away losing a split decision.

That night, De La Hoya started quickly, winning four or perhaps five of the first six rounds, only to fade in the second half.

On Saturday, after eight rounds, Judges Dave Moretti and Adalaide Byrd each had Pacquiao ahead, 80-71, while Stanley Christodoulou favored Pacquiao, 79-72. Diamondboxing.com. scored the bout in favor of Pacquiao, 78-73.

This time, from the opening bell, the quicker and better-conditioned Pacquiao, who has held world titles in four weight classes, was the aggressor, throwing stiff right-hand jabs, followed by darting lefts that continued to find De La Hoya’s face and midsection.

Covering the final three rounds, the 29-year-old Pacquiao connected with 97 punches, while De La Hoya answered with 21.

The seventh round was the tipping point, as Pacquiao, the Filipino hero, threw head and body shots seemingly at will, and had De La Hoya in the corner over much of the three minutes. It wasn’t until the final 30 seconds or so that the East Los Angeles-native answered with his own material.

Over the course of eight rounds, Pacquiao, who landed 38 percent of his punches (224 of 585), 59 percent of his power punches (195 of 333), and 12 percent of his jabs (29 of 252), minimized De La Hoya’s four-inch height and five-inch reach advantage.

These numbers, and De La Hoya’s 20 percent bigger body size, enlisted him a 2-to-1 opening-line favorite. The line dropped significantly in the days prior to the fight.

In retrospect, the younger and faster boxer prevailed. Anyone who saw Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard at the end of their Hall of Fame careers can vouch for this.

Or as Babe Ruth, baseball’s one-time home run king put it at the close of his brilliant career: “Getting old is hell.” De La Hoya knows that feeling.

FULL DREAM MATCH JOURNEY STARTING WITH THEIR TAKE OFF FROM HOUSTON 

 

 

 

  

  

 

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What’s the most important piece of equipment you need on fight night? No, it’s not your jockstrap, all though if you’re looking to have kids you may think it is. Think again. It’s your mouth piece, the last thing you think of and put on before the start of the fight. I have forgotten mine a few times and had to buy a cheap $2 mouth piece. I could have been knocked out. Not smart considering all a good mouth piece does for a boxer.

 

There are three main types of mouth pieces. The cheap ones you get at any old sporting good store. More expensive mouth pieces which get boiled so they fit better. And lastly the mouth guards you get made up at a dentist. You may think that a more expensive mouth piece is out of the question or just not worth the money. Well, each type of guard increases your protection and may even have performance enhancements not found in the cheaper guards.

 

The regular run of the mill mouth guards will mainly do one thing. It will keep your teeth from falling out. So if all you’re looking for is tooth protection save your money and go cheap. In the long run you’re limiting air flow. Also, your teeth will not be in optimal position to save that glass jaw of yours.

        

Next, we have the middle grade mouth guards that everyone usually buys. They cost $15-$150 and may come with some form of ventilation which will increase your air flow. These guards, like I stated before, are usually more of a custom fit. You boil them and then have them contoured to your mouth. Some have kits that allow you to send impressions of your teeth to a company to have a special guard made up. This is better and my even save you from a few upper cuts or hooks to the jaw.

 

Lastly, and possibly the state of the art at the moment, is the ultra guards that are out there. These guards are usually $750 and up. You say crazy? Not really. What’s not getting knocked out worth to you? Or how about being able to throw full force punches well into the 12th round? OK, so you’re not looking to go into the 12th round. Maybe you’re hoping your opponent is wearing a cheap mouth guard that only protects his teeth so you can knock him out. You still never know.

 

These high end ultra mouth guards take a lot into consideration. We can start with your bite. The dentist will usually relax the jaw and neck muscles using electrical stimulus, massage, acupuncture or chiropractic. This will allow for the best possible impression. Just think, if your muscles are tight the impression will be off and you will have a guard made from an unbalance mouth. Clench your teeth, now feel the muscles on the side of your head and jaw. Do you feel the tightness? While it may be secure it is also very fragile and uneven.

        

The next important part in fitting the mouth guard is your jaws natural alignment. A good guard should be fitted based on the center point of your bite. Using a computer an image is generated of your jaw as you move the jaw up and down, left to right, and in and out. The most comfortable position allowing for the most relaxation of your facial muscles is what you need to look for. Every one has a comfort zones with a space between your upper and lower jaw which keeps you confident.

 

  

 

 

Amir Khan and trainer Freddie Roach (above)

BY: Robert Epstein

Amir Khan chats with Diamond Boxing about training in the U.S. alongside Manny Pacquiao and with his new trainer Freddie Roach. With days to go before his next fight on December 6 Khan also tells Diamond Boxing about his opponent Oisin Fagan and how he is preparing for this bout.

As a special bonus for the fans at Diamond Boxing, Amir gives his thoughts on the Pacquiao – De La Hoya Dream Match. Read what Khan’s manager Asif Vali told his long time friend Khan after Khan suffered his first professional defeat to Breidis Prescott in his last bout on September 6 AND MUCH MORE….

Diamond Boxing and Asif Vali:

D.B. - Asif after the lose to Prescott what did you say to Amir?

Asif -After the fight, my immediate thought for Amir was his health and I was asking him if he felt ok and was not confused, in the corner my first thought was to get him back to the dressing room and not to do the press conference, however Amir, whilst on his stool said to me he wanted to do the ringside interview to which I was shocked as most fighters would go and lock themselves away. I knew then he was ok and let Amir carry on and face the media, as he wanted to explain himself where he went wrong and where the team went wrong.

 D.B. - What do you think about Amir switching trainers again and the selection of Roach?

Asif -The weeks after the fight Team Khan had many discussions and Amir decide he wanted to try out Freddie Roach again, we went to America and spent a week with Freddie, Amir returned and choose Freddie as his new coach. I am confident that this will be a fruitful partnership as the bond between the two is fantastic and the different technique Amir is learning will make him a better fighter and a world champion.

D.B. - What do you think about Amir switching trainers again and the selection of Roach?

Asif -Amir has plenty of time now to wait and make his American debut, There is no rush and when the time is right that will come, Amir has to continue learning as he still young and Amir desires to be a world champion and he is more hungry than ever, he wants to prove all the people who have wrote him off that he will be a world champion and believe you me he will.

Diamond Boxing with Amir Khan:

D.B. - Are you enjoying the training camp in the states?

Amir -  Hi Rob I’m back in the UK now two weeks before the fight but the training camp at The Wild Card Gym went really well, the atmosphere there is amazing and I really enjoyed it.

D.B. - In what ways has sparring with Manny helped you?

Amir -   Sparring with Manny has been great, he’s just as fast as me and keeps me on my toes, its helped me a lot mentally as well, knowing that I’ve been in the ring with Manny who is pound for pound the best fighter in the world, and the confidence it has given me, and I can go out there now and fight anyone.

D.B. - How much time are you getting with Freddie?

Amir -   I get plenty of time with Freddie, usually around 3 hours a day which is perfect.

D.B. - On the 6th December you’ll be fighting at the ExCel Arena, will it affect you not having Freddie Roach in your corner for this?

Amir -  Unfortunately Freddie can’t be there, but we’ve gone over plenty of things together and I know how well and hard I’ve trained so I’m fully prepared and it shouldn’t affect me.

D.B. - Have you seen much of your next opponent Oisin Fagan? How have you been preparing for this bout?

Amir -   I’ve watched a couple of videos of him, he looks strong and is a pressure fighter with a big heart, so I’ve had a few good sparring partners along with Manny, and done plenty of rounds to get me prepared.

D.B. - How has he tried to improve your skills? Have you concentrated on defensive work after your defeat?

Amir -   Freddie is fantastic to work with, he’s improved me a lot, we’ve been working on everything along with defensive skills, he’s taught me a lot of new things as well and I can’t wait for the fight.

D.B. - Has the KO by Prescott affected your confidence?

Amir -   Not at all to be honest, yes it put a big dent in my career but I’m back and more confident than ever, I’ve got a point to prove now, and its actually made me a better fighter, I’ve changed a lot of things and maybe it was a good thing what happened in the last fight, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have been training in the States with the best.

 D.B. - Thoughts on Manny’s preparation for Oscar?

Amir -   Manny’s preparing well, he’s like a machine in the gym, and works so hard, I’ve always said the harder you train in the gym the easier it will be in the ring, and Manny is doing everything spot on, it’s nice to train there at the same time as him as he has got a huge fight on the same night, we push each other all time in training, if its running in the mountains or sparring or general bag work, which gives us that extra edge.

D.B. - How do you see the fight going?

Amir - It’s going to be a very exciting fight to watch, very hard to call as they have different styles, but styles make fights, Oscar is a great boxer but I think Manny will be too explosive for him.

Latest Boxing News www.diamondboxing.com

Khan pounds the mitts of Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym (above)

BY: Robert Epstein - Latest Boxing News www.diamondboxing.com

On December 6 Amir Khan will enter the ring again exactly three months removed from his first professional defeat. Khan back on September 6 suffered a first round stunning 54 second knockout at the hands of Breidis Prescott in a bout held at MEN Arena in Manchester. The new Khan, fresh off several weeks of training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California under the watchful eye of his new trainer Freddie Roach is set to face Oisin Fagan and his pressure style.

Prior to the Prescott lose Khan replaced trainer Oliver Harrison with Miami-based former Cuban Olympic coach Jorge Rubio. With his chin still in question Khan now looks towards the experienced Roach for help. Roach who is committed to be in the corner of Manny Pacquiao on December 6 in Vegas, will not be in Khan’s corner for the Fagan bout, however has a lot of faith in Khan who he believes is a world champion in the making. While at the Wild Card Gym, Khan spent three hours a day with Roach working on various techniques including his defense.

Khan gets instructions from Roach (above).

When asked if the KO lose to Prescott hurt his confidence Khan responded “Not at all to be honest, yes it put a big dent in my career but I’m back and more confident than ever”. “I’ve got a point to prove now, and it’s actually made me a better fighter, I’ve changed a lot of things and maybe it was a good thing what happened in the last fight, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have been training in the States with the best”.

While training in the U.S. at the Wild Card Gym, Khan had the opportunity to train alongside the pound for pound champion Manny Pacquiao as he prepares for his Dream Match with Oscar De La Hoya.For Khan sparring with Pacquiao can go along way in the soon to be 22 year olds boxing career, especially when observing the machine like workout routine of Pacquiao. When recently visiting the Wild Card Gym, Diamond Boxing asked Roach if training with Khan has helped Pacquiao in any way. Roach immediately perked upped and responded “Khan has a great, great jab and it’s faster than Oscar’s and better than Oscar’s” “If Manny can deal with Khan’s jab he can deal with anybodies jab”.

Khan works on his defense as he prepares for Judgment Day (above).

While December 6 is the Dream match for Pacquiao and De La Hoya it’s Judgment day for Amir Khan. He has been shown the canvas not only by Prescott but by the likes of Michael Gomez, Willie Limond and Rachid Drilzane, Khan on December 6 is looking to calm his critics who have labeled him as having a soft chin.  

Latest Boxing news www.diamondboxing.com

IBF CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION STEVE CUNNINGHAM IS READY FOR ADAMEK, DECEMBER 11 AT NEWARK’S PRUDENTIAL CENTER

Diamond Boxings Dr. Baio Goes One on One With IBF Champion Steve Cunningham Ahead of His Fight With Tomasz Adamek.

Latest Boxing News - It was a cold, dark, and damp November day. I was drove down I-95 from NYC to Philly, fighting the elements, to meet up with IBF Cruiser weight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham. I thought it a little ironic that I was driving down from Brooklyn, NY to meet up with Steve at Shuler’s gym on Brooklyn St. in Philly. The street was quiet, with not a soul to be seen. I was the first on the seen as the gym opened. I walked up a dimly lit stairway to get to the second floor of the building, into the gym. Once inside, I found a cozy little gym with all the basics. Nothing fancy, but just what a boxer need to train and get into a boxing state of mind. As I waited for Steve and his Trainer Anthony Chase I decided to take it all in and chat with a few regulars. I found the members and trainers were very friendly. They readily traded advice with each other on techniques. In the middle of my conversations with the member I see two heavy weight sized men come into the gym. Once a few layers of warm cloths were removed it was easy to recognize the IBF cruiserweight champ and his trainer Chase. As Steve prepared for his training session, we took a few minutes and spoke about his up coming fight with Tomasz Adamek and his training.

Cunningham with Don King and Adamek at Newark Press Conf.(Above)

Dr. Baio: “Steve, why do you find yourself sparing with heavyweight sparing partners in preparation for Adamek?”

Steve: “They push me, there fast. Eddy Chambers he’s faster them most super middleweights. Chazz Witherspoon, that dude’s got pressure, he throws a lot of punches, and he’s smart. And their size makes me work. These guys have the speed and the size.”

Dr. Baio: “What strategies are you using to get ready for this fight? What are you using to prepare?”

Steve: “Intensity every were! We like to move. We can fight on the inside. We’re getting prepared in every area. You know, Tomasz, a lot of people call him a brawler. He’s not really a brawler, only if you let him be.”

Dr. Baio: “How’s your weight coming along?”

Steve: “Weight is always good. I walk around in my weight. This is my weight. This is my job. I’m in the gym every day running, sprinting, and swimming. After a fight I’m less then 10 days out of the gym. I don’t like getting out of shape. I love pushing myself to the next level. Like the Navy says “Full steam ahead.”

Dr. Baio: “Have you watched the Dawson versus Adamek fight?”

Steve: “Dawson gave him a boxing lesson. If we could imitate that, that would be great, but I’m a total different fighter. I’ll be bigger than and just as strong as Tomasz. I’ll use the Dawson fight as a blue print. I’ve also looked at Tomasz’s other fights.”

Dr. Baio: “What about training?”

Steve: “I’ve been ready since July. I’ve been training with Chris Byrd. Eddy Chambers, Chazz, a few other guys. I’m in the gym all the time. They think this time off I’ve had is going to hurt me. It actually helped me. We’re rested, and ready to roll.”

 

Steve “USS” Cunningham with soldiers and IBF Championship Belts (above)

I also spoke to Steve about his training and diet. I found out he likes to break up his weekly running program with swimming. This is very important. Constant running can put unneeded stress on your joints. Breaking up the routine with swimming or even cycling and rowing can decrease, if not eliminate some of that stress. Plus, swimming is great for arm strength and breathing control.

Steve believes boxers should have a well rounded weight training routine. A mix of light and heavy days, using everything from weights to stability balls and therabands.   He’ll do a daily circuit with 2 minutes of each exercise. Working a whole body each day.

When it comes to boxing technique each week brings something different. A constant mixing of heavy bag, speed bag, pad work and sparing. Sparing is usually toned down as the fight nears and bag work is changed from day to day.

 As for supplements, Steve keeps it simple. He’ll take a multivitamin and, Cod liver oil every day. With the cold weather coming he likes to add more supplements to bust the immune system. Only when he is training for strength will he use creatine and glutamine, but only enough to speed recovery. He gets all of his other nutrition from straight food sources. His wife helps by cooking nutritious meals and making some vitamin packed fruit drink using a juicer. Steve keeps the same basic diet year round. No simple sugar in this champs diet.

Latest Boxing News www.diamondboxing.com

Dr. Pietro Baio
Performance Edge Chiropractic, P.C.
7315 Ave U
Brooklyn, NY 11234
(917)-309-5464
PBaio_DC@yahoo.com
myspace.com/performanceedgechiro

BY: Ricky Ray Taylor

Every once in a great while a match-up catapults to the surface that gets us salivating at the mere thought of it.  Although this weekends contest is about 5 years past what it could have been, in most boxing circles the JONES-CALZAGHE duel is no exception. 

In August of 2003, Jones was proudly sitting on top of boxing’s pound-for-pound list.  He actually was there for so long that his bones were beginning to creak. Jones had absolutely destroyed everyone in his path for 6 1/2 years in fights that were sometimes so lopsided that it left the casual Boxing “fan” questioning the abilities of his opposition.  Nobody had a clue or seemed to pay attention to the fact that the combined record of Jones opponents within this 6 1/2 year run was 417-22; and 14 of those fights were for World Championships against mandatory qualified contenders.  In fact the only issue people seemed to sink their teeth into regarding Roy Jones career was that he “just didn’t have anyone decent to fight”. 

After winning a relatively controversial majority decision to Antonio Tarver in November of ‘03, for the first time we began to see some kinks in Jones armor.  There just always seemed to be something about the loudmouth Tarver that Roy couldn’t seem to completely conquer.  Perhaps it was the fact that Tarver showed absolutely no fear of Roy? 

 Regardless, the fight was finally close - so close that an immediate rematch was declared by the screaming-Tarver as well as all of boxing’s sanctioning bodies.

The second time around shocked us all as we witnessed yet another great champ be humbled by the brutality of our sport. 

Two more losses followed by 2 wins verses B- fighters and a grand finale victory over an aging Trinidad have done little to recapture the legacy we once knew.

Funny, but by the time Jones was decapitated by Tarver - Joe Calzaghe was 35-0 and creating quite a legacy of his own across the pond. He has been calling out Roy for years.  Understandably so, Jones handlers weren’t hearing him.  They saw what happened to Kostya & Chris Byrd and wanted nothing to do with reliving the nightmare of what happened in the Olympics.  Besides, Roy had troubles of his own in America battling the naysayers ~ and fighting an undefeated Welshman Calzaghe who nobody even heard of would only supply more rocks to the throwers if he were to beat him up.  It was basically a lose-lose for Jones to fight Calzaghe.

Enter Jeff Lacy, at 21-0, Lacy traveled across the seas to take on Calzaghe in front of an International television audience.  The fight was a beat down of cosmic proportions however, in Calzaghe’s favor!  Calzaghe busted up 3 more victims before sizing up Bernard Hopkins in front of an American viewing audience. 

 Now however, the shoe is on the other foot with Calzaghe sitting atop of boxing’s pound 4 pound 4 list, it’s Jones calling out Calzaghe.  Fortunately for Jones, Calzaghe obliged.

Now, finally there’s reason for Calzaghe and Jones to get it on.  The big question however is “how much does Jones have left in the tank”?

Diamond Boxing-  Ring Side Report www.diamondboxing.com

 
Last night at BB King Blues Club in Times Square a special “Pink Night” boxing card was held in support of breast cancer awareness month, with all of the proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  All fighters who participated wore pink gloves and the ring canvas was also pink in support of the nights cause.

The action was crisp all night long in the main event former WBO Junior welterweight champion Randall Bailey faced off against another former champ DeMarcus “Chop-Chop” Corley. Bailey was looking to avenge an earlier 2003 lose to Corley. Both fighters came to win, delivering solid shots on a consistent basis throughout the eight round bout. It was Bailey who got the best of Corley in the third, Bailey connected with one of his bullets that landed Corley to the canvas. Corley was able to get back to his feet, once back on his feet Corley shook his head at Bailey to acknowledge the Bailey blow which caught him. After the third round knockdown Corley was able to hold his ground the rest of the way and often produced staggering shots of his own. The fight ended with Bailey getting the unanimous decision from the judges who scored the bout all for Bailey 78-73, 79-72 and 79-72.With the victory Bailey improves to 38-6, 34KOs while Corley drops to 31-10,17KOs.

In the other featured bout local Staten Island favorite Gary Stark Jr. (22-2, 8 KOs) took on Leivi Brea (16-8-3, 8 KOs) in a six round junior featherweight clash. It took Stark’s a few rounds to find his groove and he found it big time in the third. Stark’s with his fans cheering him on took Brea to the canvas in the third with a series of body blows. The quicker Starks was at it again in the sixth decking Brea for the second time to make matters worst for Brea the referee dedicated a point from him for holding during he round as well. At the end two of the three judges gave all the rounds to Stark with scores of 60-51 while the third judge scored the bout 59-52 for Stark. After the fight the humble Stark thought he was still not at his best feeling he was a little sluggish, especially in the first few rounds. Super Bowl Champion NY Giant Brandon Jacobs helped Stark celebrate the victory in the middle of the ring. 

Two-time NY Golden Gloves champion and 2008 National Golden Gloves champion Tor Hamer, a recent Penn State graduate, made his pro debut at heavyweight taking on Joe Rabotte (2-4, 1 KO) in a four rounder . The 225 pound Hamer who had a 34-1 record as an amateur, lived up to expectations  by taking out Rabotte in the second round to record a TKO victory. 

Brooklyn’s Philip Jackson Benson making his pro debut as a middleweight knocked out Robert Harris in the first round.

In an entertaining opening bout Hajro Sujak (3-0, 1 KO) from the Bronx, NY scored a majority decision victory over Richmond Dalphone (0-4-2).

The card was cut short when two bouts had to be cancelled, fan favorite Edgar Santana’s bout against Luis Rodriguez from Mexico was called off due to visa issues for Rodriguez and Wil Rosinsky had his bout cancelled due to a injury suffered by his opponent.

Ringside Bling – Many great local sports and boxing stars were hand to take in the action including super bowl champion NY Giant running backs Brandon Jacob, Armad Bradshaw and former NY Knick Charles Smith. Fresh off his first round knockout victory on the Hopkins – Pavlik undercard Danny Jacobs was at ringside along with his gym mate and 2008 Olympian Sadam Ali. Former champions Iran Barkley, Emile Griffin and Junior Jones were also in attendance.      
More great photos can be found at http://www.diamondboxing.com/pics.php

BY: Robert Epstein www.diamondboxing.com

Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik was pitted against Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins in a twelve round light heavyweight battle from Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. Pavlik listed as a heavy favorite at 4 to 1 odds and is looking to be the first one to knock out the future Hall of Famer Hopkins.

Hopkins who entered the ring last wearing a black executioner mask was looking to get back on the winning track after dropping his last fight back in April, losing by split decision to Joe Calzaghe. The undefeated Ghost Pavlik who hails from Youngstown, Ohio was not only the betting favorite he also was the favorite among the fans.

The old warrior Hopkins came out in the early going looking quick and on the offense which goes against his customary defensive style. Hopkins in round two earned Pavlik’s respect after landing a hard left to Pavlik’s face and stunning the younger Pavlik. In rounds three and four Hopkins continued to be the first to the punch and producing more output, Pavlik still on the defense at this point. In the fifth Pavlik started to take to the offense opening it up slightly however, the ageless Hopkins still was able to deliver the greater connect rate. Through five this bout was all Hopkins pitching a shut out.

Hopkins looking strong as the fight entered the middle rounds and in the seventh round in un Hopkins like fashion hit Pavlik in the face with a showboat windmill right hand. Pavlik still on the defense in the eighth lost a point for hitting while holding. Pavlik recovered the point when Hopkins was penalized in the ninth also for hitting and holding. Hopkins did not let Pavlik mount any type of offense, Hopkins landed the cleaner, harder and more effective punches throughout the middle rounds.

Pavlik knowing he needed a knockout in order to keep his undefeated streak going still could not reach Hopkins in the latter rounds. The tenth and eleventh rounds still went to the fresh Hopkins as he landed in consistent fashion to the head of Pavllk. In the twelve Hopkins stood in the middle of the ring and ripped bullets square to the face of Pavlik. The bout ended with Hopkins and Pavlik still going at it afterwards the never shy Hopkins just looked into media row and gave all the press who doubted him a long stare down.

This one did not need the judges the whole world knew the outcome but for the official record the bout was scored 119-106, 118-108 and 117-109 all for Bernard Hopkins.

Undercard Action

The WBC World Featherweight Title was on the line when Billy Dib (21-1, 11KOs) challenged champ Steven Luevano (36-1-1, 15KOs) in a 12 round bout. In the early going both fighters did not produce much output as the sized each other up. Luevano took this one over in the middle rounds dominating the light punching Dib. The 27 year old Luevano went on to score a unanimous decision victory winning on all three of the judge’s score cards 116-112, 115-113 and 117-111.   

Marco Rubio faced off against Enrique Ornelas in a 12 round WBC Middleweight title eliminator. Rubio entered the bout as a three to one favorite, however the tough Ornelas stood toe to toe with Rubio throughout the twelve rounds. Both fighters fought this one in the center of the ring exchanging blows round after round. Midway through the fight Rubio was able to land several solid shots to the head of Ornelas causing swelling around Ornelas eyes. This one was even going into the eleventh, Rubio took charge in the eleventh landing numerous combinations which hurt Ornelas. In the twelve Rubio came out strong looking to take out Ornelas however, Ornelas had other plans. Ornalas was able to fire back in the round landing a nice right that got Rubio’s attention. Both fighters closed bout exchanging blows to the crowds delight. The judges had their work cut out for them in scoring this hard fought close bout. The cards came back with a split decision, giving the victory to Rubio, two judges gave the fight to Rubio 115-113 and 116 -112, while one judge had Ornelas the winner 115-113.

Daniel Jacobs hailing from Brooklyn New York took on Tyrone Watson in a 6 round middleweight bout. Jacobs the Golden Child did not have to break a sweat in taking out Watson in the first round. Jacobs using both hands landed devastating shots to both the head and body flooring Watson twice in the first round. The first knockdown came on a viscous right to the head, Jacob’s finished Watson seconds later with two left hooks to body. After the second knockdown Watson laid on the canvas for a few minutes in pain from the Jacob’s body shot barrage. With the victory Jacob’s improves to 11-0, 10KOs while Watson’s record dropped to 7-2, 4KOs.

Yuri Forman improved to 26-0 with a unanimous decision victory over Vinroy Barrett.

Hot young Golden Boy prospect Danny Garcia recorded a third round TKO over Deon Nash. With the knockout victory Garcia ups his record to 8-0, 7KOs.

To start the night unbeaten Qu’id Muhammad dropped Samuel Gutterez in the forth round taking away a TKO win.  

For complete fight photos check out the photo gallery http://www.diamondboxing.com/pics.php