Boxing News

The death of Jimmy Young at the age of fifty-six was a sobering piece of information for most of us who grew up watching the great heavyweights of the 1970's. I have written articles on Ali, Shavers, Lyle, Quarry, Ellis, etc...but never Jimmy Young. Why? Well that is a very good question that oddly enough answers itself. As formidable a contender as Jimmy was, he was if nothing else forgettable. I do not intend that as a harsh statement. It is ironic though that it may be the truth. Young was first overshadowed by the Ali, Frazier and Foreman era. Then later by the Norton and Larry Holmes period. He was so close and yet so far. He had two shots at the championship and came out on the short end of two controversial decisions. Then just like that he went from contender to trial horse to also ran. More...

This movie will never be ranked with "Raging Bull" or even "Rocky" when lists of excellent boxing films are compiled. With that being said, the movie "Dempsey" starring Treat Williams as Jack is well worth a watch. Dempsey's story is so well known, it made making this movie a real challenge. All in all, I think the cast and crew pulled it off. Williams did a fine job in portraying the free-swinging Dempsey. Sally Kellerman as always turned in a solid acting performance as Jack's first spouse,

a cabaret singer with a less then stellar past looking for a pot of gold. A very underrated actress named Victoria Tennant does a superb job as Jack's second wife, the aspiring actress Estelle Taylor. Their fiery marriage led to the demise of Jack's relationship with the man that guided him to the title, Jack "Doc" Kearns. The role of the "Doc" was played by Sam Waterston. The very popular TV series "Law And Order" has brought Waterston acclaim as district attorney McCoy. His outstanding acting talents help give "Dempsey" the balance to come across as a movie worth seeing. There was a great story line and enough fine acting to make this a movie pleasant to view. So pull up a chair and enjoy reliving the life of a boxing legend.

Jim Amato can be reached at jimsboxing@zoominternet.net

Youngstown, Ohio's unbeaten middleweight Kelly Pavlik will get some much needed exposure from SHOWTIME. Kelly will be part of a " ShoBox: The New Generation" doubleheader on March 4th from Choctaw, Mississippi. Kelly is sporting a 23-0 ledger with 20 KO's. He is currently ranked number by the W.B.O., number ten by the W.B.C. and number eleven by the I.B.F. His opponent will be Dorian Beaupierre who is 12-2-2 with six knockouts. Beaupierre's two draws were in 2004 against Daniel Edouard. That is the same Daniel Edouard who will be facing Jermaine Taylor this Saturday night on the undercard of Bernard Hopkins-Howard Eastman middleweight title fight on HBO.

SHOWTIME will broadcast the Pavlik-Beaupierre card at 11:00 PM., EST.

Former two time world champion of the late 1960's, Fighting Harada is recovering steadily after brain surgery January 24th. Harada suffered a brain hemorrhage the day before the surgery. Doctors removed a blood clot and Harada may remain hospitalized for at least another month. Harada won the world flyweight title by stopping Pone Kingpetch of Thailand. Kingpetch outscored Harada in a rematch to regain the crown. Harada then moved up to bantamweight and challenged the champion Eder Jofre of Brazil. In an upset, Harada outscored the previously undefeated Jofre to win his second world title. Harada again decisioned Jofre in a return bout. They were the only two losses of Jofre's storied career. Harada would keep the title until he was upset by Australian Lionel Rose. More...

Mark May 14th on your calender as The Boxing Ministry has their annual awards banquet. This year the Ministry will honor the great former WBC light heavyweight champion, Hall Of Famer Matthew Saad Muhammad. Also tenetively slated to be on hand is WBA welterweight champion Jose Rivera. This talented champion sports an impressive 37-3-1 record with 24 big KO's. Rivera hopes to soon meet and defeat unbeaten mandatory challenger Thomas Damgaard. If successful Jose will find himself in middle of a very interesting mix at 147-pounds. Now that Oscar de la Hoya and Shane Mosley are coming back down to welterweight. Rivera hopes to land a huge money fight with one or the other. More...

The title for this motion picture has eerie overtones. The great Salvador
Sanchez made a cameo appearance in this film. Shortly afterwards, he lost his
life in an a tragic crash. This may well have been his last fight. The movie
was dedicated to Salvador. Sadly we will never know how great he would have
become. The eighty-five minute movie was released in 1982. Ex-football star turned actor Fred "The Hammer" Williamson co-stars with underrated actor Ruben Blades. Blades does a fairly good job of portraying an up and coming fighter with a nose for trouble. His gambling pushes him into debt with the Mafia, and from there, no one can help him. Blades character finally gets into the ring to face the champion who happens to be the Sanchez character. It is worth seeing the bizarre events and twisting, turning plots that lead up to the "last fight." For what I assume was a lower budget movie, it is worth the watch. Don King, Don Dunphy and Jose Torres also make cameo stints as well as a young Anthony Sirico of Soprano's fame.

Jim Amato can be reached at jimsboxing@zoominternet.net

There have been so many wonderful boxing movies that have graced the big screen over the decades. It was very difficult to decide what my favorite pugilistic film was. After much thought, I decided on the 1942 production of "Gentleman Jim." Why? First of all it was based on a true story and an authentic character. It was a slice of boxing history brought back to life. It also depicted the glory and lifestyle of the turn of the century. Secondly the acting and directing of this movie was outstanding. The sets took you back in time. For an hour or so you feel as if you are transformed to that rowdy, fun loving era of our history. More...

There are several classic boxing movies that are available at your local video store to fill a void left by a lack of live boxing action. I'm going to list some of my favorites that you may find entertaining. "Gentleman Jim," the story of James J.Corbett is my personal favorite. Errol Flynn is great as Corbett and Ward Bond is even better as John L.Sullivan. Next up would be Paul Newman as Rocky Graziano in "Somebody up There Likes Me." Then Robert DeNiro in the story of Jake LaMotta titled "Raging Bull." Humphrey Bogart is outstanding in Hall Of Fame author Budd Schulberg's classic "The Harder They Fall." Although "Body and Soul" has been made more then once, the original with John Garfield is the best. A cast of Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, Mickey Rooney and a cameo by a very young Cassius Clay can be found in "Requiem for a Heavyweight." More...

In watching the broadcast of the recent “Winky’ Wright-Shane Mosley contest, HBO showed highlights from the recent heavyweight card that featured wins by Chris Byrd, Hasim “Rock’ Rahman and John Ruiz. It also showed highlights of Larry Donald's one sided decision victory over Evander Holyfield. This fight prompted the New York State Athletic Commission to level an indefinite suspension on Holyfield. HBO commentators Larry Merchant and Roy Jones Jr. praised the action of the commission. I'm not so sure. I could not agree more that something needs to be done to protect the fighters, I just did not feel that the NYSAC went about it in a proper manner. Even if the suspension is upheld, what is to stop Evander from boxing in a state that does not honor the ruling? Aaron Pryor did this when he fought in Wisconsin some years back. Some states are not that strongly regulated. More...

There may have never been a more talent rich period in the heavyweight division then from 1968 to 1978. With Muhammad Ali (a.k.a. Cassius Clay) on the sidelines due to his draft case, other big men emerged. They would compete with each other on an almost equal basis for the next decade. Joe Frazier had risen to the top of the heap but the level below him would remain as mainstays in the ratings for years to come. Jimmy Ellis, Jerry Quarry, Oscar Bonavena, Floyd Patterson, George Chuvalo and Henry Cooper would eventually give way to Ron Lyle, Joe Bugner, Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers and Jimmy Young. All time great champions like George Foreman and Larry Holmes also made their mark and Ali re-emerged to reclaim his throne. More...

In 1966, two heavyweights of Puerto Rican heritage turned professional. Each would have an impact on the talent rich heavyweight division of the late sixties and early seventies. Their careers would mirror each other’s and they even took the time to cross gloves on a couple of occasions. Pedro Agosto and Jose “King’ Roman met some of the best heavyweights of the era with a varying degree of success. Agosto's career started with a bang as he reeled off twelve straight kayos. He won his first sixteen overall including a twelfth round stoppage of Roman. Jose started with much less fanfare. In 1967, he dropped a decision to rugged Hal Carroll. He also suffered kayo losses to Herman Harris and Al Singletary. In 1968, Jose beat Charlie Polite and Singletary in a rematch. He was halted by Charlie “Emperor’ Harris and Agosto. More...

Well, let's get this over with once and for all. Who was the best white heavyweight since Ingo, or since 1960? Many names come to mind but few have reached the pinnacle of world champion status.You could make a case for South African Gerrie Coetzee who briefly held the WBA crown. He was a game fighter and a hard puncher but his chin was not always reliable and his boxing skills were limited. No, for my money the best Caucasian boxer over the last forty-plus years was none other than Joe Bugner. Before you laugh, look at the facts. Joe was born in 1950 and turned pro in 1967. He was still fighting well into the nineties. His record is a who's who of the heavyweights of that era. He went the distance with Muhammad Ali twice. His second encounter was in a losing effort for the championship. In all, he traveled twenty-seven rounds with the “Greatest.’ He also went twelve rugged rounds with Joe Frazier losing a close verdict. Bugner did win decision victories over title claimants Jimmy Ellis and Greg Page. Past his prime, he was halted by future titleholder Frank Bruno. More...

We have all heard of Ali, Frazier and Foreman. Of Tyson and Holyfield. The lighter weight classes have produced the likes of Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard. Who will ever forget Duran, Pryor and Arguello. What about the "near misses"? The ones who in this day of multi- fractured titles would almost surely have garnered a piece of championship pie. Let's start with the big boys. Jerry Quarry failed in his first title try losing a debatable decision to underrated Jimmy Ellis. In his final title shot he was out gunned by “Smokin’ Joe Frazier. He would later lose a rematch to Frazier as well as two bouts to Muhammad Ali. More...

There was a time in the mid sixties that revolved around who would be Muhammad Ali's next opponent. The former Cassius Clay was chewing up and spitting out challengers with alarming ease. His hold on the heavyweight title was reaching the point of fan boredom. Few could see any serious contenders on the horizon. Then a tremendous boxer-puncher of Puerto Rican heritage exploded on to the scene. He was really a blown up middleweight with an extensive and successful amateur background, but boy could he fight! He was a thing of beauty to watch. Hands held high in front of his face in the peek-a-boo style taught to him by his mentor Cus D'Amato. The flashing combinations, the burning body shots and his business like command of the situation inside the ropes. He was quite simply, a fighting machine. More...

The camera rolls and the highlight clip begins. It shows a young, undefeated but green Marvis Frazier dancing while taunting heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. In the blink of an eye Holmes unloads a right hand sucker shot that sends Marvis backward and into a sprawled position on the canvas. Marvis showing he is a true Frazier gamely arises. Quickly Holmes pins him in a corner and pummels him unmercifully until the ref intervenes. The look on Frazier's face isn't so much a look of pain. It is a bewildered, shell-shocked look like Ken Norton had after Gerry Cooney had worked him over in a corner. A look that said, "What the hell hit me?" More...

It was to be the last time the incomparable Muhammad Ali would ever successfully defend the heavyweight championship. It would be held in boxing’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. It would also feature Ohio’s most popular heavyweight of the last quarter of a century,

Recent Picture of Shavers, Holmes and Conteh - Click for larger image - © Mike Cleary

Earnie Shavers. The 'Acorn,' as Ali had dubbed Shavers would be a prohibitive underdog. He was accorded a puncher’s chance at best against the aging but still crafty king of the heavyweights. What transpired the night of September the 29th, 1977 established Earnie as a legitimate contender and forecast the soon to be demise of 'The Greatest'. More...

What do you say about a fighter who was good enough to challenge for world title recognition in two different weight classes? What do you say about a fighter who holds knockout victories over former world champion and hall of famers Carl 'Bobo' Olsen and Bob Foster? In all he met six world titleholders. He also crossed gloves with top contenders like Eddie Machen, Pete Rademacher, Zora Folley, Billy Daniels, George Chuvalo, Thad Spencer and Boone Kirkman. Impressive? You bet! Here's more. He gave 'The Greatest' his toughest pre-championship fight and to this day, there are many who feel that the decision rendered that night was a travesty. More...

He came from a fighting family and by the time his boxing career ended in 1971 he was the most beloved British boxer of all time. Only once did he challenge for the world's title, but he dominated the British heavyweight scene for over fifteen years. His popularity soared even more after retirement and eventually the Queen of England knighted him.

Sir Henry Cooper was more than just a British fighter; he was a fine example of what British boxing is all about. Henry's professional career started in September of 1954 and he proceeded to win his first nine fights including an eight round points win over Joe Bygraves. In Henry's tenth bout, he lost the first of many bouts due to an eye cut to Uber Bacilleri. He would later avenge that loss. More...

KEN NORTON - SHOULD HE REALLY BE IN THE HALL OF FAME?

Seven and a half years ago the very personable and popular Ken Norton was enshrined in Boxing’s Hall of Fame. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. I met Ken a couple of years ago in Canastota. His rapport with the fans and his willingness to mingle and sign autographs endeared him to the crowd. Being an ambassador for boxing is one thing and being a Hall of Fame caliber boxer is another. After watching Jimmy Bivins wait for years to be rightfully inducted it made me wonder what the qualifications really are. Does Ken really deserve to be enshrined? Let’s examine his career. More...

For most of the 1960’s and part of the early 1970’s Canadian George Chuvalo was a mainstay in the talent rich heavyweight ratings. RING Magazine founder Nat Fleischer called George on of the most durable fighters he had ever seen. In his long distinguished career the rock jawed Chuvalo was NEVER off his feet. Amazing seeing the competition he faced. For the sake of space let’s start looking at George’s career from 1965 on. More...