Roach Has Been Where Hopkins

Baltimore MD, (June 27, 2006) Right in the middle of inner city Baltimore lies the graffiti like painted and spacious Mack Lewis boxing gym opened with much fanfare in 2002 and named after the owner who once trained former middleweight champion Vincent Pettaway and Reggie Gross. Adorning its walls are posters of long forgotten fights of local legends. Occassionally Baltimore’s best products like former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman and others have found their way into its confines to train.

The reputation of the gym added to my determination to go there and interview the newly crowned and almost unknown USBA cruiserweight champion Emmanuel Nwodo, a new name making waves in the DC metro area and currently ranked number 10 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF). That in itself was something but he is now scheduled for a clear the decks showdown in the DC/MD metro area against hewn from granite Darnell Wilson the recent conqueror of former champion Kelvin Davis in an ESPN covered fight at the St. George Theater, in Staten Island, (more)

Heavyweight Ralph ‘Wild, Wild’ West Killed in Kentucky Night Club.

It is with a heavy heart that I bring news of the tragic death of the popular Louisville, Kentucky based Heavyweight Ralph ‘Wild Wild’ West.

We learned of this after promoter Jarvis Robinson called Ralph to invite him to fight at his upcoming event and was told that he had been killed. Jarvis then contacted Skip Stewart, Ralph’s manager, who told Jarvis that the actual details of what happened are quite sketchy, but it appears that the fatal incident took place at a club where Ralph was working as event security. Skip has been trying to find out further information but the local Sheriffs office are currently unable to release any due to an ongoing investigation.

A distraught Jarvis payed homage to Ralph saying “He is one of the nicest people I have ever met, within a few minutes of meeting him we really got on, it felt like we had been best friends for 30 years. He fitted right in. He came to my house and felt like one of the family. My whole family loved him. I’m going to miss him”

Ralph, whose final record is 17 Win (14 KO) - 14 Loss (11 KO) - 1 Draw, turned professional in February 1995 and won his first 10 fights before, in September 2006, losing to Oleg Maskaev, who later went on to become the WBC Heavyweight Champion.

In March 1997 Ralph returned to the ring and beat Duane Smith. He then lost his next two fights to the up and coming contenders Derrick ‘D-Train’ Jefferson and Tim Knight before getting back on track with a knockout win over Leroy Loskar, a draw with Kerry Biles and a TKO win (more)

        MORE ON OSCAR AND MANNY

By Jim Amato

When I first heard this fight ( De La Hoya - Pacquaio ) might be made, I couldn't believe it. Yes Manny looked great against David Diaz who is a tough guy. With all due respect to David Diaz, I can come up with at least five lightweights right off the top of my head who I think are better then David. Joel Casamayor, Nate Campbell, Julio Diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz. So to me, although Manny won a piece of the crown he didn't even beat the best guy in the division. Now he's going to fight a full fledged welterweight and a strong one at that...

This fight makes sense only to Bob Arum, Oscar and Manny but not the fans. I feel Oscar is cheating the fans. In the past he took on all comers. He had supposedly stated before the Cotto - Margarito fight that he would like to meet the winner. I don't think Oscar liked what he saw the night Margarito stopped Cotto. Oscar matches up well with Cotto who I believe Oscar thought was going to win. Now a possible fight with Margarito is not something Oscar may be looking forward to. I really don't think Oscar has it in him anymore to go twelve hard gruelling rounds and that's exactly what he would have to do if he faced Margarito. I want to see Margarito rough up Oscar. I want to see someone wipe that phony smile off of Oscar's smug face. I want to see Oscar take the ten count and not from a body shot. Margarito is the man to do it and Oscar knows it.

De La Hoya has every possible advantage against Pacquaio other then hand speed and the fact that Manny's a southpaw. Manny can hit but it took him nine rounds to get the game David Diaz out of there. Oscar can take a pretty good shot. Manny may land some power punches but I don't think he'll really be able to hurt Oscar. I believe De La Hoya's best weapon in this fight will be his jab. He has a good one and this will keep Manny from getting off so quickly. If Oscar doesn't win inside of ten rounds I'll be shocked. What would really shock me but I would love to see is Manny just flatten De La Hoya. What about your legacy then Oscar ?

Holyfield vs. Braxton: Was it a Politically Correct Decision?
By Ted Sares:

Dwight Braxton (41-11-1, 25 KOs) grew up in a poor section of tough Camden, New Jersey, where he got involved with crime at a young age. He was convicted of armed robbery, and spent more than four years at New Jersey’s Rahway State Prison (officially East Jersey State Prison), where he learned to box. At Rahway, every boxer’s favorite prison, he found himself. The prison had a great boxing program, and one of its inmates, James “Great” Scott, a tough and popular middleweight title contender, fought several times inside the prison in televised bouts. After turning professional Braxton/ Qawi went 1-1-1 and then reeled off 14 straight victories to move into the world rankings at light heavyweight.

Amazingly, on September 5, 1981, he returned to Rahway to fight Scott. The stakes were high; the winner was promised a shot at Matthew Saad Muhammad’s WBC world championship belt. Qawi, then known as Dwight Braxton, won a unanimous and convincing ten round decision and got the shot at Saad.

Saad Muhammad and Spinks

He was nicknamed the “Camden Buzzsaw” for his aggression and the constant pressure he put on his opponents. Just four years after his release from Rahway, he TKO’d the great Matthew Saad Muhammad for the WBC Light Heavyweight Title. It was shortly after this that he announced his conversion to Islam and changed his name. After dropping a razor-thin decision to Michael Spinks in 1983 in "The Brawl for it All," a fight in which he put Spinks on the canvas, he moved up to cruiserweight and became the WBA champion in 1985.

Evander Holyfield (July 12, 1986)

This match up took place in the Olympian’s hometown of Atlanta, GA. The grueling unification match with Holyfield was pure hell for each fighter and the split decision could have gone either way, but it went to Holyfield after fifteen rounds in what some might call a politically correct decision. After all, an ex-con from Camden was fighting an ex-Olympian in the Olympian’s home town. Holyfield set a blistering pace but the short and muscular Braxton pressured Holyfield as (more)

MOSLEY vs MAYORGA ; WHAT'S ALL THE FUSS ?

By Jim Amato

I'm having a very difficult time getting all worked up about the upcoming Shane Mosley - Ricardo Mayorga bout. What's all the fuss about ? Does anyone really think that Mayorga is going to step up in this one ? Talk about smoke and mirrors. Mayorga may be one of the most over hyped fighters of the last twenty years. The promoter must love this guy because he keeps popping up. OK he beat a washed up and less then " Ferocious " Fernando Vargas. I just can not see him defeating a top guy like Mosley. To me Shane will one day be in the Hall Of Fame. Hell he won me over when he was a lightweight. He is one of the most under rated lightweights of the last thirty years. I consider Roberto Duran the best lightweight I've ever seen but there are two guys that would have given him a lot of trouble. Pernell Whitaker and Mosley.

Back to Mayorga...Yes I remember he knocked out Vernon Forrest who I have a lot of respect for years ago. I did feel that Vernon should have got the nod in the rematch. Since then Mayorga has been trashed every time he he moved into the Major Leagues. Tito tamed him and De La Hoya destroyed him. Mosley will manhandle him. Mayoga's mouth may help sell tickets and that is well and good by a promoter's point of view As fans though we should not be fooled.

"Super" Joe Calzaghe vs. "Superman" Roy Jones
Rescheduled and Set For November 8, 2008

New York (August 7, 2008) -- "Super" Joe Calzaghe vs. "Superman" Roy Jones has been officially rescheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2008 at the Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden in New York City. The superfight, originally scheduled for September 20, was postponed due to an injury suffered by Calzaghe during training. Calzaghe vs. Jones, presented by Square Ring, Inc. and Calzaghe Promotions in association with Madison Square Garden, will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View.
The undefeated Calzaghe, boxing's longest reigning world champion, will put his perfect record on the line against Roy Jones Jr, eight-time world champion in four weight classes. With the light heavyweight battle the most anticipated among the fall boxing schedule, Calzaghe and Jones are ready for the challenge.
"I can't wait to get back to America and triumph over another boxing legend," said Calzaghe.
"I am just glad to be blessed with the opportunity to be God's instrument that he plays his beautiful music thru and I just can't wait for the 8th," said Jones.
Hailing from Newbridge, Wales, Joe Calzaghe's (45-0, 32 KOs) biggest victory of his career was his most recent, a win over multi-divisional world champion and future Hall-of-Famer Bernard Hopkins on April 19 in Las Vegas. The win, Calzaghe's first fight on US soil, elevated "Super" Joe to the top of most boxing experts' pound-for-pound lists. Preceding the Hopkins bout, on November 3, 2007 Calzaghe won a super middleweight unification bout against WBA & WBC undefeated champion Mikkel Kessler with over 50,000 strong at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. The win was Calzaghe's 21st successful defense, surpassing Bernard Hopkins and Larry Holmes for most consecutive successful title defenses, in any weight class.
"Superman" Roy Jones (52-4, 38 KOs) from Pensacola, FL has been world champion at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. On March 1, 2003, Jones defeated then-champion John Ruiz to become the first former middleweight champion to win a world heavyweight crown in over 100 years. Jones was virtually unstoppable for over a decade, and from 1993 to 2004 he was regarded by most as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. No less than fifteen opponents on the losing end against Jones have worn a world championship belt around their waste.

MORA VS. FORREST II HEATS UP EARLY AS FIGHTERS HEAD TO TRAINING CAMP AFTER PRESS CONFERENCE VERBAL ATTACKS GET RIVALS FIRED UP FOR BATTLE ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 AT MGM GRAND IN LAS VEGAS

LIVE ON HBO PAY-PER-VIEW

LOS ANGELES, August 6 – While some naysayers doubt the second fight between Sergio Mora and Vernon Forrest which is slated for September 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas has the makings of the rematch of the year, anyone who has heard the verbal barbs already being exchanged by the combatants has a good idea that the fight will likely prove the doubters wrong.

Emotions reached an early peak last week in downtown Los Angeles when the two fighters met at the press conference to officially announce the bout. After some pointed comments towards each other and an intense stare-down, there is no question that this matter will need to be settled in the MGM Grand Garden Arena ring this September.

Forrest started the banter with some choice words for the champion.
"Mora won the first battle, but I'm going to win the war," said Forrest. "I give him credit for beating me when I was at 45 percent of my ability. On September 13th, we'll see what he can do with 100 percent of Vernon Forrest. For anyone who can't wait that long, I'll cut out the suspense – Mora doesn't go 12 rounds with me in the rematch."

Mora, who maintained his composure, responded to Forrest's taunts.
"I'm disappointed that Forrest has made this a personal battle, but that will make things even worse for him on fight night," said Mora. "I was just going to beat him, but now I'm going to have to punish him to show him that my first win wasn't a fluke. I'm the Super Welterweight Champion (more)

VITALI KLITSCHKO RETURNS TO CHALLENGE SAM PETER FOR HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE ON OCTOBER 11 BLOCKBUSTER

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Telecast Includes Long-Awaited Tarver-Dawson Light Heavyweight Showdown Saturday, October 11, at 9 p.m. ET/PT

NEW YORK (August 6, 2008) – On a night that will electrify the boxing world, active World Boxing Council (WBC) Heavyweight Champion Sam Peter (30-1, 23 KOs) will defend his title against WBC Champion Emeritus Vitali Klitschko (35-2, 34 KOs), making his dramatic return to the ring after a four-year absence, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, Saturday, October 11.

Immediately following the heavyweight world title fight, which begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT on tape delay, two light heavyweight champions will meet, live on SHOWTIME, when Antonio "Magic Man" Tarver and "Bad" Chad Dawson square off in a long-awaited grudge match.

"It will be experience versus youth in two of the biggest fights of the year," said Ken Hershman, SHOWTIME Senior Vice President and General Manager, Sports and Event Programming. "The boxing world is on notice for Oct. 11, and we are thrilled to deliver both landmark events in one blockbuster telecast on SHOWTIME. I give special thanks to these four world-class (more)

Sosa vs. Williams: “Aqui, Jungle”

By Ted Sares

Charles “Prince” Williams fought three grueling bouts in an 11-month span between July 1994 and June 1995. A TD (draw) with tough-as-teak Merqui “El Corombo” Sosa was book-ended by malefic KO losses to James Toney and then to Sosa in a rematch. However, it was the remarkable draw that stands out in the memory of most boxing fans.

The fight was held at Ballys Park Place Hotel Casino in Atlantic City. At stake was the vacant NABF light heavyweight title. Sosa was 24-4-1 at the time while The Prince was 36-6-3 coming in. Both guys had fought at the top level of their division and were primed for war. Indeed, Sosa lost a razor thin SD to James Toney, and had a point not been deducted in the tenth round, he would have prevailed. He also held a UD over rugged Glen Johnson. Williams had TKO wins over Bobby Czyz, a prime Frankie Swindell, and James Kinchen, among others.

What ensued is still being talked about in boxing circles as the two combatants, both old school types, engaged in one of the most savage fights ever. The exchanges of body and head shots had the crowd gasping in amazement. First one shot would hit flush and spray sweat all over the ring; then, one in return would do the same. There were few clinches for Referee Ron Lipton to worry about as he kept a close eye on the hellacious mayhem being waged. Like the Morrison-Hipp or Pemberton-Sheika wars, this one was making everyone uneasy, if not queasy. Neither guy was about to quit though in my opinion Sosa was getting the better of it. Sosa suffered a fractured cheekbon (more)

SHO SPORTS PRESENTS FEATURES A SPECTACULAR AUGUST LINE UP

“SHO Sports Presents” Airs Every Weeknight at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME® 2

NEW YORK (August 5, 2008) – SHO Sports Presents, a nightly series featuring replays of thrilling SHOWTIME Sports telecasts from the network’s vast arsenal, will feature an incredible month of fights and features in August. (see full schedule attached).

SHO Sports Presents airs every weeknight at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME® 2 and includes event telecasts from the flagship franchise SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, the newest sports television phenomenon EliteXC, as well as both prospect-oriented series ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series and the acclaimed ShoBox: The New Generation.

SHO Sports Presents highlights for August include:

• You don’t have to wait for the heavyweight showdown between Sam Peter and Vitali Klitschko on Oct. 11 to see the “Nigerian Nightmare” in action. Tune in on Aug. 28 to see the wild fight between Peter and Jameel McCline that Peter won despite being knocked down three times in two rounds.

• Tune in for highlights of two of the best light heavyweights in the world, Antonio Tarver and Chad Dawson. Tarver and Dawson have been on a collision course for the past year while the two have dominated opponents in the light heavyweight division. To preview their highly anticipated showdown, also on Oct. 11, SHO Sports Presents will air championship battles featuring Tarver vs. Clinton Woods/Dawson vs. Glen Johnson on Aug. 27 (9:30 p.m. start time), among others.

• The explosive rematch between Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith for the EliteXC middleweight title originally aired live on CBS. Catch the encore on SHO2 August 14. (MORE)

FLASH QUOTES FROM PAVLIK-HOPKINS
NEW YORK PRESS CONFERENCE

Nazim Richardson: This guy comes to fight and that is good for Bernard Hopkins. John David Jackson will be supporting me in this fight. When you look at Bernard Hopkins, you are looking at a legend and you have to respect him for that. He has been through the wars and the fires. He has never been cut and has never been beat up.

Bernard Hopkins: I’m a boxing fan and I am a fan of Kelly Pavlik. I am a fan of Pavlik because he became a champion the right way. Not because of politics, but because he came up through the ranks and beat them all. I know what makes a good fight, but I never thought I would be fighting him. Kelly has a lot of heart and determination, but saying that, I’ve never been afraid of a ghost.

I believe I’m coming into this fight as the winner. People know me and boxing people know me and they know I’m a threat against anyone. I am willing to say that I am coming into this fight to win. When we get into the ring – it will just be me and him – and that means it is 50/50.

This is a blue collar fight. It’s like two guys working on a pier and get in a fight. It’s two guys fighting with their hard hats on. This is a blue collar sport – the kind of fight that could happen in any inner city – except now I’m from Philly and he’s from Youngstown.

Kelly comes in and throws the hammer down and it’s my job to take that away from him.

Pavlik has fought three times against fighters that I know of – Miranda and (Jermain) Taylor (twice). I don’t know any of the others. But I have nothing bad to say about Kelly Pavlik.

This fight is about two guys. One guy is coming forward and the other guys is looking to do his thing and THAT SPELLS ACTION.

Jack Loew: This is a great opportunity being able to fight a guy like Bernard Hopkins. This fight will take Kelly to another level. He’s a great fighter, but on October 18 it will come to an end for Bernard Hopkins. It is over for him.

Kelly Pavlik: I want to fight the best. People talk and ask about why I am fighting Bernard Hopkins. You’ve got a legend right here. I don’t know about Calzaghe – I guess I would have to shoot him in the foot to get him to stop running from me. All I can tell you is that I will train as hard as I can to get in the best shape that I can be in – for Bernard Hopkins.

JOSHUA CLOTTEY

DEFEATS ZAB JUDAH TO BECOME THE NEW

IBF WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION

Watch Fight Recap

DARCHINYAN BLASTS HIS WAY BACK TO THE TOP;
EARNS SECOND WORLD TITLE

Photo by Tom Casino/SHOWTIME

TACOMA, Wash. (Aug. 3, 2008) – “The Raging Bull” Vic Darchinyan promised a highlight reel knockout and delivered one bone-crunching left hand after another. The Armenian-born Australian stopped Russia’s Dimitri Kirilov in the fifth round to earn the IBF junior bantamweight championship, his second career world title, Saturday on SHOWTIME.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast originated from the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash.

In the co-feature, undefeated super middleweight Andre Dirrell, of Flint, Mich., took out brawler Mike Paschall of Baltimore, Md., inside four rounds to remain unbeaten.

Former flyweight world titlist Darchinyan was coming off two disappointing fights in his last three outings. Having been knocked out by Philippine Nonito Donaire 13 months ago, and battling to a draw against Zcy Gorres in February, Darchinyan was looking to impress on the way to regaining his status as world champion.

“I have learned a lot from my last few fights,” said Darchinyan. “I was very focused and ready for this fight. I never under estimate my opponents.”

Kirilov, who had never been stopped in 33 professional fights, could not handle the destructive power that Darchinyan brought to the 115-pound fight. (more)

WEIGHTS
DIMITRI KIRILOV vs. VIC DARCHINYAN
ANDRE DIRRELL vs. MIKE PASCHALL
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
Saturday, August 2, Live at 9 p.m. ET/PT on h.

Photo by Tom Casino/SHOWTIME

NOTE: WEIGHTS – Dimitri Kirilovweighed in at 114 ½ pounds and challenger Vic Darchinyan tipped the scales at 114 pounds during Friday’s weigh in at the Fife Parks, Recreation and Community Services Dept. in Fife, Wash. Andre Dirrell measured 168 pounds while Mike Paschall weighed in at 166 ½ pounds.

Vic Darchinyan talked a big game in the days leading up to his world championship showdown with Dimitri Kirilov on Saturday, but will the “Raging Bull” be able to back it up when the bright SHOWTIME cameras roll? Tune in to find out.

Dimitri “The Baby” Kirilov (29-3-1, 9 KOs) will defend his International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight title against former IBF flyweight champion and knockout artist Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan (29-1-1, 23 KOs) live this Saturday on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

In the co-feature, U.S. Olympian and undefeated prospect Andre “The Matrix” Dirrell (15-0, 10 KOs) will put his flawless record on the line against fellow unbeaten Mike “The Persecutor” Paschall (17-0-1, 4 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight brawl.
The telecast will originate from the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash., and is promoted by Gotham Boxing, Inc.

SMITH OUTCLASSES WOLAK;
TERON OVERPOWERS LOZADA TO REMAIN UNBEATEN ON SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION

SHOWTIME to Replay Thrilling Bouts Thursday, August 7, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHO2

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK (August 2, 2008) – In an action packed night of fights on ShoBox: The New Generation, junior middleweight Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith of Las Vegas, overwhelmed Poland’s Pawel “Raging Bull” Wolak en route to a 10-round unanimous decision victory.

Smith, won by scores of 97-93 and 96-94 twice and handed Wolak his first loss, improved his record to 20-3 with nine KOs. Wolak, who fights out of Rockaway, NJ, drops to 21-1 with 14 KOs.

In the ShoBox co-feature, young prospect and Bronx native Jorge Teron looked impressive as he defeated hard-hitting Michael Lozada of Mexico by sixth-round TKO (1:26).

The telecast aired live on SHOWTIME and was presented by Gotham Boxing in association with Final Forum Boxing. The action packed evening originated from the Aviator Arena in Brooklyn, New York—the fourth ShoBox to emanate from the Big Apple.

Having lost two of his last three fights, Smith knew needed an impressive showing in order to remain a relevant prospect in the 154-pound division.

“I knew I needed a win tonight if I wanted to stay competitive in this division,” Smith said. “I had a great chance tonight to prove myself and I took advantage of it.” (more)

PAWEL WOLAK vs. ISHE SMITH
JORGE TERON vs. MICHAEL LOZADA
FINAL QUOTES AND WEIGHTS

Ishe Smith (left) and Pawel Wolak (right) pose IMG Smith and Wolak.jpg /Bronx native Jorge Teron (right) squares off with the hard-hitting Michael Lozada (left)

Thursday, July 31, 2008
New York City Athletic Commission Office in Manhattan

“SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION’’
Friday, Aug. 1, 2008; Telecast Begins at 11 p.m. ET/PT


PAWEL WOLAK:

“I don’t care about his inactivity; I know what I can do and I know how I can fight. I know I will win this. It is not a question in my mind. Him not having fought in a while does not play into this for me.”

ISHE SMITH:

“If I can’t beat him then what am I doing with my career? What am I doing? I have to beat him. For me this is do or die. I have no choice.

“For me this fight is like coming home. I grew up on SHOWTIME. That is where I got ranked…that is where everything started for me. I feel comfortable on SHOWTIME because it is home.

“Tomorrow night you will see the old Ishe mixed with the new Ishe. I am just going to keep throwing the punches and you will notice my growth but you will still see the old Ishe.”

JORGE TERON:

“On paper this is my toughest fight. We prepared though. We watched a lot of tapes and I learned from them. I really worked hard these past few fights and I am at my best. I prepared.”

MICHAEL LOZADA:

“I come in here for the victory; all the way here for the victory. I am far from home so why would I come to lose? I didn’t. I came to win. I am here in his home, I know that, but I will still