I am a fan of nostalgia. Anything old. Movies, books, etc... I even make my family go to those old historic mansion tours with me, although I should probably stop because no one ever seems to have a good time but me. I even owned a 1932 Ford truck once. My father used to tell me I was born in the wrong era. In truth, he is to blame for my passion of
things in the past. He used to take me to antique sales, old movies and of course, as I have mentioned in previous articles, we would sit and watch old fight films on his 32mm projector. So I blame him for my love of the past. The one thing I really love however, is old rivalries. It shows how the sport has evolved over the years.
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We have had some great ones over the past years. Corrales vs. Castillo is the most recent and Barrera vs. Morales another recent favorite. The Gatti vs. Ward series is yet another. If you keep going back in time, the 80's had Leonard vs. Duran, the 70's had Ali vs. Frazier and so on... But to me, the most amazing series of fights in the history of the sport, hands down, is the series between "Sugar" Ray Robinson and "The Raging Bull", Jake LaMotta. The skill and ferocity involved in those fights, in my opinion, will never be matched again. More...
"It could have been the hotdog guy and Walcott would have taken his advice."
Over 100 championship belts; three kids in the Olympic trials; the reigning women?s World Amateur Welterweight Champion; two U.S Boxing Championships; five National Golden Glove titles; and an 18-0 welterweight pro, Jason LeHoullier, who is starting to garner some national attention. Not a bad run for a non-profit club that started 15 years ago in a hollowed out shell of a building in southern Maine. Coach/promoter Bobby Russo's Portland Boxing Club (PBC) recently broke
the 100-title mark at the Northeast Regional Golden Gloves, and the Portland native was named coach of the year for the third time in a decade. I sat down with coach Russo to talk about teaching the sweet science, growing up in the fight game and the infamous Ali-Liston II, which Russo attended at age 10.. More...
By James Oakley February 4th, 2006 All Boxing Bios
For a career that has lasted just short of thirty years, over twenty major title fights and one that has amassed sixty wins, forty seven early, a lot of boxing fans will wonder, what motivation has Tommy Hearns got to keep on boxing at the grand age of 47. Perhaps its money, Or the love of the sport, or even the need to prove himself to be as great as Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Hearns is scheduled for action again this weekend, facing 40 year old Shannon Landberg at the Palace in Auburn Hills on Saturday.
Hearns first won the WBA Welterweight title aged just 22 with a stunning second round knockout over the gritty Mexican, Pipino Cuevas. Nicknamed the "Motor City Cobra" he defended his title three times with three knockouts before crashing head on into Wilfred Benitez's conquer Sugar Ray Leonard in 1981. The fight itself was a unification bout with each fighter putting their undefeated records and belts on the line. What followed was to be named fight of year by Ring Magazine and set up a grudge between the two fighters that was to be settled almost nine years later. More...
By Katrina Walters January 26th, 2006 All Boxing Bios
Sechew Powell Makes his mark in 2006
As the 2006 boxing year begins to settle in, their has already been much to talk about. Personal triumphs with O'Neil Bell unifying the titles in the cruiserweight division, Manny Paquiao knocking out Eric Morales, and now Sechew Powell steps in the ring and up to plate as he places an x on the light middleweight division. With Winky Wright permanently fighting at 160, Powell can very well stake his claim in the division. At the age of 26, The Brooklyn native has been fighting pro for three years, and with his unblemished record of 18-0-11ko's, Powell is a force to be reckoned. The 5ft10in southpaw had a very busy fight season in 2005, staying in the eye of the public and fighting four times last year, with his most notable an exciting win over Cornelius Bundrage. Both fighters knocked each other down simultaneously in the opening round, both recovered and was up quickly but Powell took advantage of the opportunity and knocked Bundrage out in the same round. More...
Even though he failed to win the Gold Medal at the 2004 Olympics, Amir Khan still achieved more than just a Silver Medal. He caught the public eye and once again brought British boxing back into the spotlight along with football and other such sports. Since turning professional, he has continued to catch the public's attention through mainstream TV and more so with each fight. Khan already seems to be the face of British boxing
despite having only fought four times and sharing the spotlight with other big name fighters such as double world champion Ricky Hatton, world title challenger Danny Williams and former Gold Medal winner Audley Harrison.
Khan's amateur career was not followed by the general public and he only really came into the limelight when he reached the semi finals of the Olympics by delivering a dazzling knockout performance against a Korean boxer. It was after this that he was to fight "Super" Mario Kindelan in the finals. Kindelan was a seasoned amateur, widely regarded as the best in the world, and many believed that he could hold his own in professional boxing if he wished. Khan fought bravely however was defeated by the Cuban. More...
He was perhaps the most talented boxer ever to grace the ring; super fast hand speed, the welter/middleweight version of Mohammed Ali, unrivaled footwork and a heart that matched that of any champion to go before him. Sugar Ray Leonard must surely go on any boxing fan's list of greats. He hit "The Hitman" into submission; he made "Hands of Stone" quit and proved that he was more "Marvelous" than Marvin himself. Leonard first showed the world what he was capable of with, what in my view, was one of the most brilliant performances that boxing has ever seen with a 15th round TKO over Wilfred Benitez. Benitez was 38-0-1 at the time, as well as the WBC champion, and was the youngest fighter ever to win a world title.
Leonard then proceeded to win a routine title defense against Dave Green and then onto his biggest fight yet vs. the legend to be, Roberto Duran. It ended with a fifteen round unanimous decision in favor of Duran but in many people eyes, "Sugar" had got his tactics wrong trying to trade on the inside with Duran, rather than dance. In their rematch five months down the line, Duran quit with the famous line "No Mas", giving Leonard a TKO in round eight More...
This Sunday, in New York City, the people of that great metropolis celebrate one of their most colorful events of the year in the Puerto Rican Day Parade. Last year there were over 100,000 marchers and three-million spectators at the event with organizers predicting greater numbers this year. To mark this, I thought I would
put down my “Top Ten Greatest Fighters from Puerto Rico,” starting with the best and moving down to tenth place. I could not narrow it down to ten. So here are the “Top Twelve Greatest Fighters from Puerto Rico.” Then I thought about the order and whether to put Gomez first and "Tito" second and Ortiz third and what about all of the guys in the middle? Great champions all and it is not my place to put them in their place! So here is my list of the best dozen from that most beautiful island in alphabetical order. I have only covered their careers, not their personal lives. You can arrange them yourself on our forum. And if anyone is wondering where Hector Camacho is, ask Edwin Rosario. Happy Puerto Rico Day. More...
On May 21, 2005, televised on HBO’s world championship boxing series, former 1988 Bronze Medalist, and current heavyweight contender Andrew Golota will challenge for his third heavyweight title in a row (the fourth title challenge of his career) when he takes on the WBO titleholder "Relentless"
Lamon Brewster. It is a fight that will be live from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, which happens to be where Golota calls home. In his previous two bouts, Golota drew with IBF champion Chris Byrd, and lost a unanimous decision to WBA boss "The Quiet Man" John Ruiz. The "Foul Pole," as he is referred to by the majority of the boxing media has had one of the most bizarre careers this side of "Iron" Mike Tyson. He began his fistic journey with twenty-eight straight victories and seemed to be well on his way to a championship. In those twenty-eight victories, Golota showed great skill, solid power, and fast hands for a man his size.
Read on as SaddoBoxing.com begins its coverage of this Saturday’s WBO heavyweight championship fight.More...
As a sports fan, I always find it sad when a good name is sullied by allegations of steroid use. Athletes found guilty of knowingly committing such an offense in order to enhance their individual performance have found that it carries with it a stigma that has proven neigh impossible to shake off. The tag (which says cheater on it)
tends to linger in the public’s consciousness and in some cases has eclipsed entire career accomplishments, past, present, and future. That is why, as a Shane Mosley fan, I was naturally relieved when the former three-division champion was absolved of charges that he had intentionally taken Tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) – a so-called "designer steroid" that had been previously undetected by drug tests – prior to his second clash with Oscar de la Hoya in September of 2003.
In an official statement, Mosley wrote, "I was told these completely legal supplements would increase my stamina and (help) my recovery time in training." This adamant claim was backed up by the results of a subsequent lie detector test, which revealed that he was indeed telling the truth when he said that he had never knowingly consumed performance-enhancing stimulants. An innocent man he may be, but the whole thing still hangs over his head like a big black cloud! More...
“You can’t win for losing.” I don’t know who first said that, but who ever it was, I can guarantee he never met Marco Antonio Barrera. The Mexico City star has continued to survive in this brutal sport because of
changes he has made to his style following his losses. He always comes back as a much better fighter after he is beaten. Barrera is an anomaly in that his confidence never seems to waver. He seems to accept his losses and, unlike most fighters that just say they do, Barrera actually learns from them. The “baby faced assassin” started his professional career in 1989, at the ripe old age of fifteen-years-old, and won his first forty-three fights, thirty-one by KO, ripping through the super bantamweight division. At the time, Barrera was a classic Mexican left-hooking, body punching, hard charging brawler that would lead with his face and let that left-hook to the body fly. All of that began to change on November 22, 1996, when Junior “Poison” Jones made Barrera’s corner step in and stop the contest after five heats. The pair would do it again on April 18, 1997, with Marco Antonio losing a twelve-round unanimous decision. Although he lost, Barrera showed significantly improved boxing skills and defense. He then rolled off six wins with one no-contest in his next seven bouts before his memorable war of attrition with Erik “El Terrible” Morales in 2000. Although most observers at ringside felt Marco won that fight, Morales claimed the victory. More...
Who was born in Tokyo, raised in Germany and is now residing in Las Vegas? If you said Antwun Echols, you'd be wrong, but the far ranging traveler was born in Memphis, Tennessee and bounced around a number of places including Davenport, Iowa before settling down to his current
residence of sunny Dade City in the equatorial expanse of South Florida. What a long, strange trip it's been and we haven't even gotten to Echol's up and down career yet! Nonetheless, Echols, 31-5-1 (27), who faces the string bean-like African expatriate with a world-class nickname, Kingsley "Sharp Knuckle" Ikeke, on Friday night on ESPN 2's Friday Night Fights series, is a seriously good fighter. The thirty-three-year-old self-managed middleweight started his career by getting ingloriously KO'd in his debut by twenty-four bout veteran Anthony Ivory in 1993. Getting right back on the horse within two months, the heavy-handed youngster began belting out hapless Midwestern novices and journeymen in the boxing hotbed of the previously mentioned Davenport, with a successful sidebar into Ecuador and Florida before heading home again. More...
What does a world title shot symbolize to a fighter? For most, it is the pot of gold at the end of their respective rainbows, a chance to gain fame, riches, and a new life. Of course, in reality, that is not always the case, but it is a universal pipe dream that fuels young men’s ambitions and hopes. We all need something to
aspire to, if only to give us a sense of direction and purpose. Boxers spend entire careers laboring in the shadows, (literally) shedding blood, sweat, and perhaps tears along the way in pursuit of their shot, their one chance to reach the pinnacle of their profession and call themselves the best. Win, and you have the world at your feet, lose, and it is a one-way ticket to the back of the queue with nothing but a broken dream. A second opportunity is not always forthcoming; the door can be slammed closed forever. Britain’s newest world champion, Clinton Woods, is well aware of that fact and surely knows how lucky he is. More...
Shahjaad Khan, who, after wearing that infamous waistcoat, is now as famous as Amir, came to England in 1970, from Rawalpindi, Pakistan. On December 8th 1986, his first son, Amir Khan, was born. Almost eighteen years later, his son has become a boxing prodigy and is well on the way to becoming a household name. But how did he get there? Here's some inside knowledge on our little hero. Amir Khan first got into boxing
at the tender age of eight. He was a hyperactive child and, according to his father, "a born fighter", as he was always getting into fights, at school. To help curb this, his father took him to Haliwell Boxing Club. From there he moved onto Bury Amateur Boxing club, where Mick Jelley coached him. More...
This was to be Mike Tyson’s third comeback fight after his defeat to Buster Douglas in February the previous year. Since then, Tyson had scored one round wins over Henry Tillman and Alex Stewart. Meanwhile Ruddock was
viewed by many as the most dangerous heavyweight in the world after a four-round destruction of Michael Dokes in 1990. The two were originally supposed to meet in Canada in 1989 when Tyson was still champion. The fight fell through and Tyson, the following year, accepted a defense against Douglas, and as we know, the rest was history. This was to be a non-title fight although Ruddock would actually receive more money this time around. The fight that was to be held in March of 1991 at the Mirage Hotel, Las Vegas and was looked upon by many as a bout between the two best heavyweights in the world. Evander Holyfield was still lightly regarded by many as champion and had accepted a title defense against forty-one year George Foreman. The winner of Tyson and Ruddock was due to fight the winner of Holyfield and Foreman later in the year. More...
Michael Watson’s career never quite took off in the way many experts predicted after his impressive triumph over Benn. He was put in against and well beaten by WBA middleweight champion Mike McCallum, though he earned praise for a valiant effort. Following that loss, he notched up a few credible wins but sadly seemed to fade back into obscurity as he was once again forced to ply his trade on non-televised under-cards, fighting for peanuts. Watson was left baffled as to why he was still out in the cold and became increasingly bitter; only a couple of years earlier he
had systematically taken Benn apart, now he was watching the man he beat convincingly topping bills and raking in the kind of money he could only dream about. It really didn’t seem fair, but how many things in life are fair? Benn was a superstar, Watson wasn’t. It was as simple as that. He may well have been the superior boxer but outside of the boxing purists who appreciated his flawless application of the sweet science, he did not appeal to the bloodthirsty majority. The so-called boxing fans who have an unrealistic perception of the sport from watching Rocky movies and expect the same kind of blood and guts action in real life. Nigel Benn satisfied that crowd with his menacing demeanor, charisma and destructive fists elevating him (in a box-office sense) from the rest, Michael Watson included. More...
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...
Nigel Benn, the bad boy of British boxing, was riding high. The ferocity and venom of his recent victories had made him a huge star across the Atlantic; U.S. promoter Bob Arum was even hailing him as the world’s most exciting fighter. His future looked bright as he enjoyed the adulation and perks of his success, but amidst all of the hoopla, a thorn was beginning to embed itself firmly into his side. A talented up and comer named Chris Eubank was making serious noise back home, both in the ring and verbally; turning heads with
his performances and emphatically calling out the new WBO champion at every opportunity. His persistence eventually paid off, Benn agreed to shut him up. More...
Chris Eubank calls him the most terrifying man he has ever met, Steve Collins claims no one hit him harder, before or since; only seven of his forty-two ring victims survived his fury and made it to the final bell, though whether in one piece or not is another story. I’m talking about Nigel Benn, a.k.a. “The Dark Destroyer.” At his meanest, he almost seemed
like pure, uncontrollable aggression in human form, gnarling and foaming at the mouth, ready to destroy any man or beast put in front of him. Benn, giving new meaning to the phrase punching with “bad intentions,” burst onto the scene in 1987 and with only one of his first twenty-two opponents making it past the fourth round you could say he made something of an impression. The public loved him; he was charismatic but also had a mean streak, which along with his all action style made him an instant hit with the fans. More...
Cuba is a country that holds several visual images when you contemplate the island nation. From Fidel Castro’s beard and way of running his country, to warm temperatures, the 1980's classic Scarface, Florida and the Spanish language are all mental points we may share while studying this country. Another unknown trait Cuba carries is the strong hold of creating some of the best boxers in the sport in the realm of the Olympics. We have experienced this sight of boxing excellence in the Olympics and other world competitions. For political reasons, the Cuban boxers usually stay in their homeland, making way with being loyal to their country and not jumping into the American way of doing sports, which can supply high cash rewards and fame. Imagine the many talented boxers that have faded away in their homeland with the pride of defending their country and not being able to fight professionally. One such fighter who can be placed into that "what if" land of promise is Teofil Stevenson, a Cuban heavyweight in the 1970's that captured the attention of American promoters. More...
Born in 1930 in Flatbush, a section of Brooklyn, he watched his father go to work at the Department of Sanitation. His father supported four boys, the family got by okay on their finances. His father fought under the name Eddie Martin. Even though his father fought,
his father never trained his son, Joey. Carmine or Joey grew up in the Italian neighborhood in an Italian family. He joined the army and got out to fight, and stayed in Philly throughout his life. He weighed in most of his boxing career around 160-pounds, and stayed in shape his entire life.
"Nobody showed me nothing," Giardello said, "I'd box and then stick around and watch guys box. I'd pick up moves just by watching. I never had any amateur fights."
In 133 professional bouts, Giardello had 100 victories, thirty-two by knockout, and he lost twenty-five. The tough, gritty Giardello slowly, but steadily, fought his way up the ranks until he won the world middleweight title at the end of his sixteenth year as a professional. Giardello actually started life with the real name Carmine Tilelli. He turned professional in 1948 at age eighteen. He fought primarily in Philadelphia, and built his record, and reputation in the "City of Brotherly Love" and other East Coast towns. In 1951, he entered the world rankings with a ten-round decision win over contender Ernie Durando in Scranton Pennsylvania. With the exception of one year, 1955, Giardello fought and beat at least one ranked contender every year until 1966. More...
