Boxing News

Nicolai Valuev recently lost his WBA heavyweight title to the tenacious Ruslan Chagaev in an entertaining scrap held in Stuttgart, Germany. That strange sound you heard immediately following the fight was the collective sigh of relief from countless boxing fans. The 49-0 mark set by the great Rocky Marciano was safe once more.

Marciano’s record is just what we call it: Marciano’s record. It belongs to Marciano and him alone. Had Valuev managed to tie the 49-0 mark or even if he had surpassed it, the memory and significance of the Brockton Bomber’s accomplishment would not have been dulled or tarnished.

Besides, Marciano retired with the unblemished record and there is no proof that Valuev would have retired having reached that benchmark. The fact of the matter is that Valuev suffered the same fate that Icarus of Greek lore encountered: he simply flew too close to the sun. More...

Recently, SaddoBoxing had a chance to speak with the President of 8 Count Productions, Dominic Pesoli. 8 Count Productions is rapidly becoming a Chicago area staple when it comes to exciting shows and displaying hot prospects. They'll be putting on their third fight card of the month tonight at Cicero Stadium in Chicago and things seem to just get busier.

SaddoBoxing: How did you get into boxing promoting?

Dominic Pesoli: "Well, I have been around the sport pretty much my whole life. I started boxing when I was 13 years old as an amateur. Competed for eight years. What started me as a boxer was Rocky.

"As far a promoting, I always had a passion for the sport, I loved it. In 1995, I was putting on an event for charity. It was to help raise some money for kids with cancer. I did a celebrity boxing event where I had Danny Bonaduce, who at the time a radio disc jockey at the Loop FM here in Chicago.

"He fought a local sportscaster with NBC channel 5, John Kelly, who is now with 'Extra', the entertainment show. So, I had those two guys fight each other and on the undercard, I put on a lot of my students who I was training at the time. I put this event on and raised about $50,000 for the charity and had a really good time doing it.

"So I said, 'you know what, you know boxing is my passion, I had a really good promoting this event, maybe I should do boxing promoting?' That's what started it. Then, in 1997, that's when I formed 8 Count Productions." More...

Recently SaddoBoxing had a chance to interview Leon Margules, Executive Director of Seminole Warrior Boxing. Warrior Boxing is rapidly becoming a recognized force on the boxing landscape, promoting such notable fighters as Edison Miranda and Glen Johnson. Mr. Margules took time out of his busy schedule to share the plans and aspirations of Warrior Boxing this year.

SaddoBoxing: What is the latest and greatest with Warriors Boxing?

Leon Margules: "We are just making fights. (Chuckling) Kicking ass and taking names, how’s that? The latest and greatest is we are continuing to move forward and put our fighters in position to win world titles."

SB: How long has Warrior Boxing been in existence?

LM: "We have been in existence since 2003. I didn’t take over until August of 2005."

SB: For those who are unaware, give me the names of some of your marquee fighters.

LM: "Edison Miranda. Sultan Ibragimov…" More...

This Saturday, April 7, the pride of Providence, Rhode Island, Peter Manfredo Jr. will face the daunting task of dethroning WBO Super Middleweight Champ Joe Calzaghe at the massive Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

This will be the first attempt at a world title for the 26 year old Manfredo, 26-3 (12), while Calzaghe, 42-0 (31), will be putting his WBO belt at risk for the twentieth consecutive time since winning the belt in 1997.

Recently SaddoBoxing caught up with Peter for a candid and insightful interview just before he left for the UK. More...

In an era in which boxing’s glamour division is as captivating as doing one's taxes, the public demand for an undisputed ruler of the division is at an all time high. It almost seems that the days of Lennox Lewis reducing ambitious men to horizontal paper weights are from a bygone period. The people need a champion and perhaps the answer lies not in one sole savior, but possibly in two individuals.

A couple of Saturdays ago, the world watched as IBF Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko literally separated mandatory challenger Ray Austin from his senses with one hand. Austin’s shellacking goes down as one the more dominating performances in a heavyweight title fight and just another in a long line of impressive victories for the brothers Klitschko.

The story of the Klitschkos, Vitali and younger Wladimir, is one born out of the inherit drive to achieve superiority that was ingrained into the minds of those who lived under the oppressive thumb that was the Communist Eastern Bloc. It should be of little doubt to even the most cynical critic that the sons of a Soviet Air Force Colonel would excel in the Communist system of specialized sport institutions. More...

ESPN’s Friday Night Fights was live form Scranton, PA this past Friday and the newly renovated Scranton CYC Center was filled to the rafters with fight fans eager for the promised action that the fight card offered.

The featured bout of the evening was between two hard-hitting cruiserweights as journeyman Darnell "Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson took on former IBF Champion Kelvin "Koncrete" Davis. This was a crossroads fight for both men as the cruiserweight division is wide open and hungry for stars to bring it’s participants to the consciousness of fight fans.

Wilson entered the bout riding a two fight KO win streak and a minuscule buzz that goes along with such victories. Davis, on the other hand, entered the bout after campaigning in the heavyweight division in his last two outings. The fight was advertised as a sure fire, all action affair and the buzz inside the Scranton CYC Center fed off of it.

In the opening stanza, both fighters took the time honored tradition of feeling each other out. Davis came out firing stiff jabs in order to befuddle the stalking Wilson. Wilson’s jab was used solely for the purpose of setting up his devastating right. Opting to "paw" with his jab, rather than use it for any actual offensive weapon, Wilson was yearning to punish Davis with his much ballyhooed right hand power. More...

On March 9, American heavyweight prospect Malcolm "Showstopper" Tann, 22-2 (12), is scheduled to take on journeyman Wade Lewis at the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant, MI. SaddoBoxing recently caught up with Tann and got his thoughts and opinions on a myriad of topics. Only at SaddoBoxing!

SaddoBoxing: You had to pull out of your fight on Feb 24 due to a bronchial infection, correct?

Malcolm Tann: "Yeah man, I got sick and had to pull out. I just started working out again. I was like shit, man".

SB: When do you plan on fighting again and against whom?

MT: "My manager says I should have a date on March 9 against Wade Lewis". More...

Samuel Peter Wins Impressively In Florida

Despite being lost amongst the clamor of the controversial first bout, Samuel Peter and James Toney’s rematch was a highly anticipated affair. In the first contest, both rotund combatants dug deep into the inner depths of their soul and put on display a vivid description of what a good heavyweight fight could be.

This go around was an entirely different story.

Vowing not to let a victory be pilfered from his grasp by the subjective view of the judges, Peter put on a display of thorough domination over the master craftsman that is Toney. Much of the pre-fight hype circulated around Toney’s much publicized dedication to getting in proper shape by bringing in renowned fitness guru Billy Blanks.

While Toney did look to be in much better shape than in his most recent outings, Samuel Peter looked to have had the much better camp as he came into the contest the more notably fit of the contestants.

Peter set the tone early in the first by coming out winging shots at the older Toney. Toney was clearly uncomfortable with the sweltering pace dictated by Peter and tried valiantly to get his jab working. Unfortunately, it was to little avail in the first and Peter clearly hurt the old school slickster with thunderous overhand rights in the stanza. More...

In the co-featured bout to Sam Peter vs. James Toney 2 last night in Florida, ex-WBA Light Middleweight Champion Travis Simms got a stoppage win over the reigning WBA Champion, the very tough Jose Antonio Rivera.

The bout must have seemed like the third ring of hell for the champion. Simms would thoroughly outbox, outclass, and out punch the always hardnosed Rivera. Utilizing excellent footwork and ring generalship, not to mention a laser guided straight left that could not miss, Simms beat Rivera from pillar to post.

In the second round, blood would begin to trickle down from the nose of Rivera, no doubt caused by the thudding lefts that seemed to reach their mark as if magnetized to him. Rivera was also ruled down in the same round as Simms looked to take it to the champion. More...

Controversy and boxing are as interwoven as peanut butter is with jelly. The sport's long and storied history is teeming with assorted instances of disputatious events. One of the latest cases involves the arguable decision that Samuel “The Nigerian Nightmare” Peter received over James “Lights Out” Toney this past September.

While most observers had Toney winning the fight, two of the three ringside judges awarded the victory to Peter. Let's not kid ourselves into believing that this verdict was by any means behemothic in its level of unfairness. The bout was an extremely close contest that saw both men stand on a dime and winging shots at each other.

By no means was it Hagler vs. Hearns, but in today’s impoverished heavyweight division any marquee fight that exhibits back and forth competitive action is a welcomed sight.

In the first fight, Toney proved that veteran skill and guile are enough to weather a brutal onslaught of concussive power shots. Both men came into the contest tipping the scales at over 230 pounds and such girth between two pugilists is often a precursor to a plodding bore of a fight. That was not the case in this battle, as an action packed affair erupted in the Staples Center in Los Angeles. More...

Bigfoot Or Boxing’s Next Superstar?

The sweet science may be the sport more tethered in archaic tradition than any other currently in existence. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, as boxing’s rich history is just as important and meaningful to the sport as say, baseball's is.

So forgive me if I find it a bit perplexing that we fans of the savage science must flock to the internet, of all places, to get our fix of the sport that we hold in zealous reverence. Who would have thought that in a sport that is so immersed in the heritage of old is now being covered using the tools of the future? With such a diverse forum, the ascension back to prominence for our wonderful sport is all but guaranteed.

Hyperbole and boxing are as much as tandem as Mike Tyson and disaster. Many of us can recall the tales of our fathers and grandfathers as the regaled us with stories of fighters from their generation. Each story seemed as fantastic and riveting as any Hollywood screenwriter could ever envision in their wildest dream.

Enter one Edwin Valero. To all but the most diehard fight fans, the name rings no bells of recollection. Through the magic of the information superhighway and reinforced with the continued whispers of hearsay and boxing discussion boards, the mystery of Edwin Valero continues to grow. More...

Guzman Goes Home For The Holidays

Tonight, WBO Super Featherweight titlist Joan “Sycuan Warrior” Guzman defends his belt against Antonio “T-Rex” Davis at the Palacio Virgilio Travieso Soto in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. This fight will mark the first time that Guzman has defended his title in his hometown. Roughly 12,000 Dominicans will be on hand to root for arguably the island's most popular pugilist.

Joan Guzman’s road to the upper echelon of this sport has been long and arduous. Born into abject poverty in the Guachupita neighborhood of Santo Domingo, Guzman’s enticement with the sweet science was a natural extension of his childhood. “I was a rough kid”, stated Guzman. “I learned to fight because it was part of growing up”.

An extensive amateur career soon followed, culminating with a Gold Medal at the Pan American Games. With such sterling amateur credentials, a relatively logical decision to turn pro was made and Guzman has been fighting to make his mark ever since. More...

HBO Boxing After Dark in Miami

Tonight, HBO’s Boxing after Dark series will be live from the Miccosukee Resort in Miami, FL. Scheduled for the telecast is a pair of fights that will showcase some of the best young prospects in the US. Not a bad way for HBO to end the year.

Edison Miranda vs. Willie Gibbs

Miranda, 26-1 (23), burst onto the boxing scene with his exciting stoppage of rugged veteran Howard Eastman this past March. However, it was his brutal war in September with IBF Middleweight Champion Arthur Abraham that solidified his place as a can't miss contender as Miranda clearly showcased the grit and mantle that makes a champion. Despite breaking Abraham's jaw, Miranda dropped a unanimous decision as a result of five point deductions. Many observers question the referee’s decision to penalize Miranda as many times as he did, but seeing as the bout was held in Germany against a German based champion, it was of little surprise. More...

Jermain Taylor UD12 Kassim Ouma

It wasn't the way he wished or envisioned it but Jermain Taylor successfully defended his middleweight title Saturday night in his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas. An announced crowd of 10,000, roughly 7,000 short of a sellout, were on hand to witness Taylor’s first defense of his hometown since winning the title last year.

For a fight that many billed as simply a “showcase” for Taylor and a much needed breather in terms of competition, turned out to be a grueling twelve round battle. Ok, perhaps grueling is a bit of a misnomer as Ouma did not present any considerable threat to Taylor’s crown. After all, there was good reason the betting odds were 5 to 1 in favor of the champion.

This bout marked Ouma’s first foray into the middleweight division after spending the majority of his career in the junior middleweight class. I will leave you to your own conclusions as to what Ouma did to deserve a title shot but such is the way of modern day boxing. Needless to say, Taylor was the bigger man in the ring and it showed in the match. More...

The Big O Hits Moscow

Tonight, newly crowned WBC Heavyweight Champion Oleg Maskaev will do battle with the relatively unknown Ugandan slugger Peter Okhello. The location of the bout is as much of a story as the fight itself, as it will mark the first time since the 1991 fall of the Iron Curtain that a world heavyweight championship will be held in Moscow. The bout will be held at the Olympiysky Sports Arena and initial reports state that the buzz for the fight in Moscow is tremendous.

Oleg Maskaev took possession of the WBC heavyweight title in impressive fashion when he knocked out Hasim Rahman four months ago in Las Vegas. This bout is being billed as a homecoming of sorts as Maskaev was born in Kazakhstan but spent his youth living in Moscow. Maskaev first laced up the gloves while serving in the Russian Army and soon became a staple on the national boxing team.

While Maskaev’s professional record is less than stellar, no one can doubt his new found dedication along with current win streak. In fact, it has been four years since his last loss, a setback that came at the hands of one Corey Sanders, who now is touring the country as Mike Tyson’s personal punching bag. Since that time, Maskaev has been on an undefeated tear with all but two of his wins coming by way of knockout. More...

Battle Of Boxing’s Good Guys

It was once spoken by an idealistic young lass that there is no place like home. Recognized middleweight champion Jermain Taylor would surely echo those same sentiments as he gets the opportunity to ply his craft in front of his hometown congregation Saturday night at the Alltel Arena in Little Rock, Arkansas. This bout will mark the first time that Taylor will defend his middleweight crown in his hometown since wrangling the belts from future Hall of Fame inductee Bernard Hopkins. So who is the participant playing the role of spoiler in this equation? The hungry and dangerous Kassim Ouma.

Jermain Taylor’s meteoric rise to prominence came to fruition on July 16, 2005. It was on that night that Taylor shocked the world and scored a controversial split decision against the ruler of the middleweight division, Bernard Hopkins. Following this momentous victory was an immediate rematch with the miffed Hopkins.

While the outcome was just as controversial, Taylor did manage to win a unanimous decision that go around. After back to back battles with the extremely formidable Hopkins, Taylor’s next assignment was a much anticipated showdown with the adroit southpaw, Ronald “Winky” Wright. More...