MARCH & APRIL, 2007
Acelino Freitas Couldn't Handle Juan Diaz
SUN April 29, FRANK GONZALEZ - Congratulations to WBA Lightweight Champion, Juan “The Baby Bull” Diaz, who
improved his unbeaten record to 32-0, with 16 KO’s and added the WBO Title
to his currency after unmanning former Champion, Acelino “Popo” Freitas
(38-2, 32 KO’s), who quit on his stool after eight rounds up at the Foxwoods
Casino in Connecticut Saturday night.
Acelino Freitas-Juan Diaz: Don King to the Rescue
THU April 26, CLIFF ROLD - What has been the best fight on U.S. TV in 2007 that didn’t cost an extra $50 bucks? Any real fight fan would probably say Jean Marc Mormeck winning the World cruiserweight championship from O’Neill Bell last month. What was
the best fight you saw on HBO in 2006 without adding to your cable bill? It
would come as no surprise if many answered with the rematch between Paul Briggs and Tomasz Adamek at 175 lbs. Now ask what both of those fights have
in common? The answer is Don King. [Links Take You To BoxingScene.com]
Amir Khan: Frank Warren’s pension plan?
TUE April 24, LUKE CHANCE - He has already been called ‘the best lightweight in Britain, deemed himself ‘a champion’, called out Britains top lightweights like Graham earl and Jonathan Thaxton, and has even, much to this writers disgust, been compared to the incomparable Sugar Ray Robinson. That’s rather a lot for a twelve fight novice...
Undefeated James Moore is Fishing for Opponents
TUE April 24, CHRIS ROCHE - James Moore is an avid fisherman, and anything edible that he pulls from the sea is fair game for him to eat. Despite his love of seafood, neither tuna nor striped bass currently has Moore chomping at the bit. Moore is yearning for a quality fighter to step up and accept the challenge...
De La Hoya-Mayweather: The Olympic Tradition
THU April 19, CLIFF ROLD - A four-part, two hour HBO commercial; a feature article in Vibe magazine…we are only at the beginning of the hype machine towards Oscar de la Hoya versus Floyd Mayweather. It’s boxing’s biggest star versus arguably its best fighter. While some use this moment to wax poetic about days gone by, about the lost days of regular superfights, about the times when boxing truly was still king, still others celebrate it as a chance to breathe new life into a game that needs it... [Links Take You To BoxingScene.com]
Cotto to Square Off Against Judah, June 9th on PPV
TUE April 17 - The Big Bang Theory goes off the drawing board and into the ring with “X-Plosive!” -- the world welterweight championship featuring undefeated World Boxing Association champion Miguel Cotto, the pride of Puerto Rico, defending his title against two-division world champion Zab Judah...
Pacquiao's Choice of Mountains; Warren v. Palle
THU April 12, CLIFF ROLD - Real history is hard to come by. Henry Armstrong was real history. It was 69-years-ago that Henry Armstrong completed an impossible trifecta, adding the world lightweight title to his existing status as king at featherweight and welterweight. In the process he became the second and last man to hold three world titles in three weight classes at the same time (the other was Barney Ross)... [Links Take You To BoxingScene.com]
Manfredo – Lost In The Blizzard
WED April 11, BUSTER PARIS - “…I was thinking about catching him maybe when he stopped throwing punches … but he never stopped” ---Peter Manfredo Jr.
Halfway through the third round, Calzaghe had Manfredo against the ropes and let go a blinding blizzard of punches. Peter absorbed a lot of them on his gloves and his arms, he was even able to duck under some, and slip others, but they just kept coming. There was absolutely no sign of the assault slowing down or letting up. Peter was drowning.
Tommy “The Razor” Rainone: Keeping the Dream Alive
TUE April 10, CHRIS ROCHE + DANNY SERRATELLI - Tommy “The Razor” Rainone proves that dreams can become reality. Since the age of six, the Long Island native dreamed of becoming a professional fighter. Rainone is planning on keeping his vision a reality, as he prepares for his April 11 showdown with Ronny Glover at the Citadel in Charleston, SC.
>> KEA at the Citadel on April 11th, features Mtagwa and prospects Davis, Rainone and Bell
The Poker And The Poked, Calzaghe TKO's Manfredo Jr. in Three
SUN April 8, FRANK GONZALEZ - Saturday at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff Wales, in front of a huge crowd of 35,000, WBO Super Middleweight Champion, Joe Calzaghe (43-0, 32 KO’s) made his 20th successful title defense over journeying American, Peter Manfredo Jr. (26-4, 12 KO’s)
Fluidity, agility, excellent timing and impressive speed make Calzaghe one
of the most impressive fighters on the planet.
>> SHOWTIME: Clottey Wins Decision over Corrales
Can Clottey take advantage of Corrales' on a platter?
FRI April 6, JOHN VACI - It must be nice to be a benefactor of another fighter’s mismanagement. Just ask Joshua Clottey, who’s been given a gift wrapped opportunity this Saturday against former jr. lightweight and lightweight champ Diego Corrales.
Corrales lost his last fight to cagey Joel Casamayor and it seems like his handlers suddenly feel like guiding his career Shane Mosley style, foolishly accepting difficult fights, when bigger name easier opponents wouldn’t be too hard to find.
Can The Contender Become The Upset Kid?
THU April 5, CLIFF ROLD - World Super Middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe hasn’t lost. Ever. He’s had 42 opportunities to do so, twenty of them defenses of the WBO belt he’s worn since beating British legend Chris Eubank in 1997. Saturday night he isn’t supposed to lose either. That doesn’t mean he won’t... [Links Take You To BoxingScene.com]
>> Johnson, Griffin Meet in May 16th IBF Eliminator
Talking Boxing with Doug – A Reminder That Boxing Connects Us All
WED April 4, BUSTER PARIS - Bobby sat in the chair, his arm looked huge and unnaturally still as the hypnotic and serene hum of the needle provided great background to our discussion.
You have to figure that this isn’t the first time boxing had been discussed in a tattoo parlor, and it’s nice to know that despite what critics say, it’s certainly not the last.
The man with needle is a very good and talented tattoo artist named Doug. He owns and operates Patriot Ink Tattoo in Northborough, MA...
Mtagwa Looks to Ambush Roy at the Citadel
MON April 2, CHRIS ROCHE - When a top-five contender graces a boxing card, the show automatically morphs into a "must see" event. Featherweight Rogers "The Tiger" Mtagwa is expected to vault into the IBF's top five world rankings next week, just in time for his April 11 bout against Terrence Roy at the Citadel in Charleston, SC.
Calzaghe-Manfredo Part of HBO's Free Preview Weekend
FRI March 30 - Undefeated super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe's landmark 20th title defense against Top contender Peter manfredo Jr., the first alumnus from "The Contender" to challenge for a world title, will be part of an HBO free preview weekend in the U.S. The April 7 world title rumble will be broadcast Live! from Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 5 P.M. EDT / 2 P.M. PDT with a replay airing later that evening at 10 P.M. EDT/PDT..
Will Joe Calzaghe Chase Greatness?
THU March 29, CLIFF ROLD - A little more than one week from now, world super middleweight champion Joe
Calzaghe (42-0, 31 KOs) of Wales will make his second defense of the crown
since gaining universal recognition as ‘the man’ last year against US Olympian Jeff Lacy. His pending bout, against Ring Magazine #10 contender Peter Manfredo (26-3, 12 KOs), will also mark the 20th defense of his WBO belt... [Links Take You To BoxingScene.com]
>> Champ vs. Champ: Taylor Fights Spinks in Memphis
Mikkel Kessler-Librado Andrade: The Most Underrated Fight in Boxing?
THU March 22, CLIFF ROLD -Combined, the two warriors have 62 wins, 47 knockouts and not a single loss. Mikkel Kessler vs. Librado Andrade could be the most underrated fight of 2007.
What’s that? Haven’t heard of ‘em? Expect that to change this Saturday on HBO. Fight fans have gotten used to complaining about a trend of terrible match-ups on the network over the last few years. This Boxing After Dark main event is complaint proof. On one side of the ring is Mikkel Kessler... [Links Take You To BoxingScene.com]
Lightweight Talent = Heavyweight Competition
WED March 21, JOHN VACI - Do you like knockouts? 
How about competitive, bruising Fight of the Year candidates? Then why is there such disdain for the heavyweight division? Sure the politics preventing unification are nauseating.
It’s alarming when washed up titlists roam the division, whose title winning efforts marked their first significant win since the ‘90s and the WBC ‘champion emeritus’ leap frogs worthy contenders for an immediate title shot...
>> Release: Klitschko Looking for WBC Title Shot
Ponce de Leon – Who Knew He Could Box?
MON March 19, BUSTER PARIS - Millions of people in unison rubbed their eyes and blinked repeatedly to make sure they were seeing what they seeing.
They were, and no matter how odd and unimaginable it was, we all witnessed it – Daniel Ponce de Leon was jabbing, employing ring savvy and fighting intelligently...
Everything This Week Except Barrera-Marquez & Notes
FRI March 16, CLIFF ROLD - For pundits of the ‘boxing is dead/dying’ variety, this is a terrible weekend. For everyone else, on three continents, it doesn’t get much better. Every fight isn’t good, but there’s enough good to go around. Of course, we all have a superfight to look forward to Saturday night and I’ll have plenty to say about Marco Antonio Barerra-Juan Manuel Marquez later in the week... [Links Take You To RingTalk.com]
Dr. Steelhammer To Share The World With Dr. Ironfist
TUE March 13, BUSTER PARIS - The baseline is unmistakably Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers (song is ‘Can’t Stop’); it’s heavy, deep and masterly pounded as it is blared through the speakers of the SAP-Arena in Mannheim, Germany. The light show blinds and dazzles the thousands in attendance and the millions watching worldwide as Dr. Steelhammer marches intensely towards the squared circle, towards a doomed man and towards history.
>> Gonzalez : Klitschko KO's Austin But Still Eludes Redemption
Dominoes in Place for Klitschko Unification...Let There be No Excuses
MON March 12, CLIFF ROLD - I said last week that the best case scenario for Ring Magazine #1 heavyweight contender Wladimir Klitschko against Ray Austin was a highlight reel knockout. Wlad’s quintruple left hook along the ropes provided it. Yippee. In yet another example of the absolute trash that is the mandatory system, particularly in a saturated four titlist world, boxing fans got a multi-million dollar jerk session for a fighter who doesn’t need it. [Links Take You To RingTalk.com]
>> In the News: Ouma wants Mosely, Spinks
Wladimir Klitschko KO's Ray Austin But Still Eludes Redemption
SUN March 11, FRANK GONZALEZ - IBF Heavyweight Champion, Wladimir Klitschko (48-3, 43 KO’s) made easy work of IBF Contender Ray Austin (24-4-4 Draws, 16 KO’s) at the SAP Arena in Mannheim Germany Saturday night by scoring a second round knockout with a series of left hooks onto the face of Austin, who was leaning into the ropes before dropping to the canvas. By the time Austin got up, he was out.
Watch Klitschko on HBO...But Treasure 'Sweet Pea' on ESPN Too!
SAT March 10, CLIFF ROLD - In a throwback to the days of my younger youth, HBO will be showing a Saturday fight at a time when most people are actually home (4:45 PM EST/1:45 PM PST). It’s either too bad, or just great, that the fight is Ring Magazine #1 Wladimir Klitschko against unranked Ray Austin. Too bad because it’s not expected to be all that competitive... [Links Take You To RingTalk.com]
Marquez Stops Vazquez to Capture Ring Title, Darchintan Stops Burgos
SUN March 4 - After breaking his opponent’s nose in the first round of an electrifying bout, IBF Bantamweight Champion Rafael Marquez captured the WBC super bantamweight title by stopping defending champion Israel Vazquez at the end of the seventh round Saturday on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.
Vazquez asked his trainer, Freddie Roach, to stop the contest because he was having trouble breathing.
"24 KARAT" Rold Says Bring on the Violence!
THU March 1, CLIFF ROLD - Former President Dwight Eisenhower once commented to the effect that the American spirit is descended in blood from its past; the spirit of boxing can say the same. For those who doubt that spirit, that crimson legacy of the sweet science, there will be four opportunities for reminder this weekend. The bouts coming up will highlight a champion and feature leading contenders to the World champions at... [Links Take You To RingTalk.com]
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