Boxing News

IBF jr. middleweight champion Kassim Ouma will defend his title against IBF #12 ranked world contender Kofi Jantuah on Jan 29, 2005, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ, it was announced today by Main Events CEO Kathy Duva. The 12 round title bout will serve as the co-feature to the WBC super lightweight championship showdown between champion Arturo Gatti and challenger Jesse James Leija. Both bouts will be broadcast live on HBO’s “World Championship Boxing” series, beginning at 9:45 pm ET/6:45 pm PT. Tickets, priced at $400, $200, $150, $100, and $50, can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420 or Bally's show & reservations desk. Ouma (20-1-1, 13 KO’s) has not lost a bout in five years and is ranked #1 by Ring magazine. The twenty-six-year-old Ugandan native has won nine of his last ten bouts. The sole blemish on his record during this time span was a no decision against Darrell Woods on October 4, 2002. On May 30, 2003, Ouma earned the vacant USBA light middleweight title, defeating Angel Hernandez by split decision in a bout that also served as the IBF light middleweight title-eliminator (W 12). In his last bout on October 2, 2004, Ouma captured a unanimous decision over Verno Phillips to win the IBF jr. middleweight crown (W 12). More...

Fight fans can ring in 2005 with a heavy diet of boxing action as the seventh installment of DiBella Entertainment's popular Broadway Boxing Presented by Mohegan Sun will air on Madison Square Garden Network on New Year's Eve, Friday, December 31, at 11:00 PM, New Year's Day, Saturday, January 1, at 4:00 PM, and Sunday, January 2, at 7:05 PM. A bevy of New York City stars on the rise highlighted the card from the Grand Ballroom at the Manhattan Center (November 18), headlined by Brooklyn's unbeaten junior welterweight sensation Dmitriy Salita (19-0, 11 KO's) vs. Paul Delgado (12-4-1, 2 KO's) of Atlanta, Georgia. More...

Former undisputed heavyweight king Lennox Lewis is considered to be the first and only great super heavyweight. An Olympic gold medalist, Lewis captured the heavyweight crown on three separate occasions and retired on top with a record of forty-one wins, two losses and one draw. Does anyone seriously think Vitali Klitscko would be a top-ten heavyweight let alone the WBC champion if it weren’t for his considerable height, weight and reach advantages over almost all of his opponent? Don’t get me wrong, he is a finely conditioned athlete who he can clearly fight a bit, however I just can’t see that unusual European style of his being effective, at all, if he were a few inches shorter. Super heavyweights (six-feet-five-inches plus) as a group, past and present, have a reputation, in general, they do tend to be slow, clumsy, ponderous and lacking in boxing ability. There have of course been exceptions; but, on the whole, if not for their immense size and physical strength, these big guys who have and continue to scale the heights of the heavyweight division would not enjoy the same kind of success based on their skill level. More...

A birth occurs commonplace on every moment, on everyday in every corner of the earth. The spinning planet offers few explanations of life, tragic or heralded. On Christmas day, we receive a reminder of an ancient metaphor of birth. Although birth appears ordinary, no person replicates another. Birth never repeats the same pattern of the soul, ever again. The wonder of birth turns not this world of the billions of shapes, not of the flesh and blood. The nature in all of us gives us blessings, and torment. Might we ever rise above abandonment, abuse, cruelty and ignorance? How we handle this in life allows us to transcend the commonplace, and show the miracle of life. On October 26, 1906, the first Italian stallion boxer felt life in northern Italy. He weighed twenty-two pounds, and grew up to reach nearly six-feet-six-inches. When his mother realized the child of enormous size, she called him “number one,” or Primo. Mother Giovanna or father Sante never realized this out-sized baby was already set apart in many ways. Most of Primo Carnera’s life represented mocking of his freakish size and shape. His entire family and village saw the giant baby and later a monstrous man, standing out. More...

Did you know that boxing is in the midst of its worst period since, well, ever? If you’re a boxing fan in the purest sense, you’re probably shaking your head. If you’re not shaking your head, or at least employing some other method of objection, you’re probably a more casual fan. There’s nothing wrong with being a casual fan, of course. Indeed, it wasn’t so long ago that I was in your shoes. Few things on “the box’ piqued my interest like a big money heavyweight bout, but a Friday fight between Willie Limond and Craig Docherty held my interest like an episode of Songs of Praise—no offence intended to fans of that show. The point being that, I too had little interest unless the big names were involved. And traditionally, the big names equate to the upper echelon of the heavyweight division: Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson et al. Therefore, is it any wonder that, to the uninitiated, boxing is in such a lamentable state? More...

The Best to Come in Boxing's Rising Stars.

As the saying goes "out with the old and in with the new," so applies this saying to boxing. But let's not get it twisted, this year alone, we have witnessed some of the most exciting and upsetting moments in boxing. Changing of titles and dramatic twelve round knockouts were just some of the events boxing fans were treated to. Boxing has become increasingly exciting with every fight in almost every weight class. From the lightweights to the heavyweights, fighters are coming out with something to prove. Just take Ebo Elder and his dramatic twelve round KO over Courtney Burton. Ebo was all but counted out, but a straight left that landed flush on Burton's face marked the beginning of the end for Burton. But the best is yet to come. 2005 will prove to be an exciting year, and the proof is in some of boxing's talented stars. This years Olympics in Athens produced talented fighters well beyond their years. Amir Khan is one to watch. Gifted and talented can be used to describe this young phenomenon. Although it is not clear whether or not this eighteen year old Pakistani born, Bolton, England resident will turn professional or try out for the Olympics when he turns twenty-two in four years, one thing is certain and that is that this lightweight fighter came out in impressive fashion to capture the silver medal. More...

It has been only three months since this main news section of the site underwent a drastic overhaul and I am happy to say that the response to it from our team, the boxing industry and fans alike proved to be just as powerful. In that short time, we have been able to bring the latest breaking news and exclusive reports, twenty excellent exclusive interviews with many of boxing's major stars and have also been able to offer many new writers and in some instances, the fans a platform to be heard before the whole boxing world. Achieving so much in such a short space of time indicates that saddoboxing.com is most definitely here and 2005 will see it on its way to achieving its great potential. I'd like to thank Saddo and all of the team for all of their brilliant efforts to make this site what it is, check the right hand side of this screen to find our writers and click on their names to view their individual archives to see what I mean. I'd also like to thank all of the managers, promoters and industry people who have worked with us in bringing a great resource to boxing fans. I'd like to thank all of the fighters that have given of their time to talk to us and chosen to voice their opinions through our site. It truly is an honor to be able to serve boxing. Last but certainly not least I'd like to thank all of the fans that have responded so overwhelmingly to what we have done and continue to join our forums and get involved in our community in record numbers. This is only the beginning and on behalf of myself and all of the team here at saddoboxing.com, I'd like to wish everyone a safe, happy and very merry Christmas.

The Middleweight division has always been economical when in comparison to the other weight divisions. A weight class with Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Robinson, Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and a whole list of other quality boxers. The current Middleweight division is home to Felix "Tito" Trinidad, Jermain Taylor and to dip a few pounds upwards or downwards who can mingle in the middleweight division you have Ronald “Winky” Wright, Jeff Lacy and Joe Calzaghe to name a few. One name not mentioned in the group of current fighters and his name was not left out due to memory error. Bernard Hopkins, The Executioner and “B-Hop” are a few of the listings that reside with naming the middleweight king. At the age of thirty-nine, this man is still within reach of solidifying his signature into becoming the greatest middleweight ever. More...

In a matchup the fans, media – and fighters themselves -- have been demanding for many months, the two lightweight boxers recognized as the most talented in the world will square off when World Boxing Organization (WBO) Champion Diego “Chico’’ Corrales takes on two-time World Boxing Council (WBC) Champion Jose Luis Castillo in a world title unification bout on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Saturday, March 5, 2005, at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). The highly anticipated Battle For Supremacy at 135 pounds on SHOWTIME – an early candidate for Fight of the Year -- will be co-promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, and Top Rank, Inc., in association with Banner Promotions. A site and co-featured bout will be announced in the near future. More...

The Three D's of Boxing: What it Takes to Succeed.

What does it take to become the best? Is it the strength, the heart, a perfectly chiseled frame, the hand speed, the stamina or that devastating left hook? Or just the will to be the best? There are many possible answers, but what it really takes is the dedication to the sport, the determination to be the best, and the discipline to maintain at all levels. This brings me to Muhammad Ali, the greatest of all times. Despite all that was brought before him, Ali excelled in his craft, and was determined to let nothing stop him and get in the way of his destiny. George Foreman also, in spite of his age, defied the odds by returning and beating one booing’s strongest heavyweights at that time in Michael Moorer. He was dedicated to the sport, thus allowing him to return as a winner. Even today, with Trinidad, in his come back, after a twenty-nine month layoff, returned to systematically dismantle Ricardo Mayorga in impressive fashion, without discipline he most certainly could have not returned successfully. More...

Promoter Frank Warren has responded to comments made yesterday by Murad Muhammad claiming that he has offered IBF World Light-Welterweight Champion Kostya Tszyu a four-fight deal including a showdown with Ricky Hatton in Sydney. "Our position on this matter is very clear," started Warren. "I have negotiated solely with Kostya Tszyu's promoter Vlad Wharton regarding a fight with Ricky Hatton. I cannot deal through anybody else to make this fight happen." "The American TV network Showtime hold the television broadcast rights over Tszyu fights and Jay Larkin has confirmed to me that Wharton is his promoter not Muhammad who has no promotional rights over Tszyu whatsoever, Wharton has also confirmed to myself and Larkin that terms for a Tszyu-Hatton fight have been agreed. I cannot do anymore than deal with the person who has the legal promotional rights over Tszyu, In addition a letter from Tszyu's manager Matt Watt was faxed to me by Wharton confirming that he wants the fight with Hatton and that is their position." More...

“Any time, any place, and he can bring the ref”-John Ruiz.

World Boxing Association heavyweight champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz (41-5-1, 28 KOs) has responded to derogatory remarks recently made about him by International Boxing Federation heavyweight title-holder Chris Byrd (38-2-1, 20 KOs). “I’ll fight Byrd any time, any place, and he can bring the ref,” Ruiz offered. “Let him bring two referees if he wants. This fight can easily be made because we have the same promoter (Don King). All it takes is a phone call by Byrd. I’ll sign a contract tomorrow. I just don't want it to be a cat fight because I don't slap like him." Team Ruiz learned that Byrd said, according to an Internet boxing writer, everyone in the heavyweight division is afraid to fight Ruiz because he cheats, fights illegally, and uses different rules. More...

Glen Johnson strode confidently towards the ring to face Antonio Tarver. Gone was the wide-eyed bemusement etched across his face just three months ago before his defeat of Roy Jones Jr. Johnson was still a humble figure and diligent in preparation, but this new swagger of his, topped by a relaxed smile indicated that he truly felt that he belonged.

Glen Johnson looked like a man who had spent some time looking out from the top of the mountain, and enjoyed what he saw. Tarver appeared wearing a striking turquoise robe and a large, kingly crown upon his head, he had said that in the absence of a legitimate title, (are you listening IBO?) he wanted to come to the ring wearing something that indicated his status as a champion. But it was more than that really. Tarver’s lifelong dream was upended by Johnson’s performance against Jones, it scuffed the high shine of Tarver’s long awaited arrival at Jones’ expense and Tarver, in every which way possible sought to remind the boxing world of his superiority. To me, Tarver looked like someone desperately trying to steal attention, despising the notion of being overlooked in favor of a journeyman champion. More...

The much anticipated pro debut of 2004 U.S. Olympian Jason “Big Six” Estrada two weeks ago (Dec. 10) at Foxwoods Resort Casino was the first step on his mission to prove to the boxing world that he’ll be an even better pro than amateur. In his first fight as a pro against a game Joseph Reyes Kenneth (3-4, 2 KOs), the twenty-four-year-old Estrada floored his opponent once en route to a unanimous four-round decision (40-35, 40-35, 40-34) in a match he dominated, at the very least, by the margin indicated by the final scoring. “I felt that I had a lot to prove,” Jason said after the fight. “Some people were saying I wasn’t going to be what I was hyped up to be. I felt great.” More...

2004 has been quite an extraordinary year for boxing. As well as witnessing the demise of mainstays such as Roy Jones Jr. and Mike Tyson, we have also witnessed the rise of the next crop of boxing superstars. Jeff Lacy, Miguel Cotto and Kassim Ouma won their first world

titles this year. Whether these fighters will enjoy the success of the breed they are replacing, (De La Hoya, Hopkins, Trinidad, Tszyu) remains to be seen, but we will watch their careers with interest. Speaking of Trinidad and Tszyu, these future hall of fame fighters announced in no uncertain terms that they are back. Trinidad snuffed out the brave challenge of Ricardo Mayorga in October and Tszyu defied twenty-two months of inactivity, (and the critics) to destroy Sharmba Mitchell a month later. Evergreen Bernard Hopkins also proved that at forty, he still has what it takes by taking out Oscar de la Hoya in a fight that, despite the hype, failed to live up to expectation. Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales staged World War III in November and Diego Corrales capped a great year by making Acelino Freitas quit, adding to his impressive rematch win over Joel Casamayor. Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson both did the unimaginable, they knocked Roy Jones on his ass and kept him there - and an unheralded British heavyweight named Danny Williams effectively retired Mike Tyson. So, what with Christmas just around the corner, I've decided to stop shopping and guzzling beer for a day to give you my list for boxing's most important happenings for the year 2004. More...

Floyd Mayweather Jr., a boxer with tremendous skills in the areas of speed and effective punching. Add that to his skyscraper height of self-confidence and agile defense and you have a high-toned fighter who can take over the light welterweight/welterweight divisions with an iron fist. From the super featherweight title fight on December 19, 1998, a beat down of the durable Angel Manfredy who eventually went down to a TKO in the second round, to the fine display of the art of boxing against Diego Corrales making Corrales feel the mat five times before taking home the WBC super featherweight title on January 20 , 2001. If you need recent evidence of his boxing mastery, just look at his unselfish workout on DeMarcus Corley. In this fight he offered his skills but not to the fullest potential that were witnessed in the past. A mighty talent in boxing, Mr. Mayweather does indeed hold within his heart. More...

I am focusing my thoughts on the current arrangement of the heavyweight division that has emerged into a boxing fan’s worst nightmare. It seems as if we have entered into the everlasting obsession that bigger is better and it seems as if we lost translation of what it takes to be a legitimate boxer in today's highest weight division. Yes, few huge heavyweights in the past such as Lennox Lewis were both mentally and physically in shape. However, in the latter movement of pay-per-view sales being the only objective, it has appeared that the bigger the paycheck, the cheaper the effort from the two boxers participating in the clash of fist exchanging. The latest Klitschko vs. Williams rumble was a joke in the low comedy arena. Do these guys really train? I mean throwback-training, running, eating properly, mentally study their opponents ways and habits. It's about time that fight fans stand tall and demand some answers. More...

Desert Diamond Casino and Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions have put together another blockbuster fight card to ring in the New Year. On Thursday, January 6, 2005 “Boxeo de Oro” on HBO Latino presents its first show of the year live from the Diamond Center. Tickets range from $25-$100 and are available now at the Desert Diamond Casino box office, Radio XENY in Nogales, MX or by calling (520) 393-2799 or 866-DDC-WINS. Nogales, Mexico native and current IBA world middleweight champion, David “Destroyer” Lopez, will headline the January card defending the title he won vs. Kirino Garcia at the Diamond Center in August. Lopez, who has firmly established himself as one of the world’s top middleweights, will be making his HBO debut. In this first fight since signing with the Golden Boy Promotions’ camp, “Destroyer” will be pitted against up-and-coming knockout artist, Fulgencio Zuniga of Columbia. Zuniga has a 16-1 record with an impressive fifteen KOs. His lone defeat was to current WBO champ Daniel Santos. More...

Former IBF lightweight champion Paul Spadafora pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and a weapons charge Monday for shooting his girlfriend last year. Prosecutors dropped charges of attempted homicide and reckless endangerment. Spadafora was charged with shooting Nadine Russo in the abdomen on Oct. 26, 2003, because he was upset she had flattened two tires on his sport utility vehicle. The couple has since become engaged and Russo did not comment when leaving court Monday. The two counts to which Spadafora pleaded guilty are felonies. Aggravated assault carries a maximum prison sentence of ten years, while the weapons charge carries a maximum sentence of seven years. Spadafora's attorney said he expected a sentence of no more than two years, not counting time served. A sentencing date will be set following a pre-sentencing hearing. The troubled fighter was jailed earlier this month after a urine test revealed he had been using cocaine, a violation of his bond. Shortly before his fiancee was shot, he was arrested for urinating on a Pittsburgh street while intoxicated and was later convicted of disorderly conduct and public intoxication. Spadafora is a former International Boxing Federation lightweight champion. He gave up his IBF 135-pound title in 2003 and said he was moving up to junior welterweight, where he could maintain his weight.

Responding to barrage of e-mails, phone calls and media coverage, SHOWTIME will replay the “Shobox: The New Generation” card of Arnaoutis vs. Gallardo and the dramatic Elder vs. Burton. The excellent news for boxing fans is that the “ShoBox’’ doubleheader can be seen three times in the next three days. The first replay will air tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME, followed by an airing Wednesday on SHO EXTREME at 11:35 ET/PT and then on Thursday evening on SHO TOO at 11 ET/PT (all times delayed on the West Coast). In an incredible, crowd-pleasing battle of non-stop action from start to finish, Elder (22-1, 14 KOs) snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by mounting a furious rally to knock out Courtney Burton (21-3, 11 KOs) with 50 seconds remaining in the twelfth round to retain his North American Boxing Federation (NABO) 135-pound title. Elder was trailing on two of the three judges’ scorecards entering the final stanza. With both eyes swollen nearly shut and bleeding heavily from a cut on his right eyebrow and staggering badly, Elder appeared out on his feet earlier in the 12th. But he managed to recover and unleash a barrage of punches that floored Burton. The thrilling slugfest was stopped at 2:10 after Burton went down a second time. Undefeated Mike Arnaoutis upped his record to 12-0-2 (6 KOs) with an impressive third-round knockout over Juaquin Gallardo. Arnaoutis decked Gallardo (16-3-1, 5 KOs) once in the second and once in the third in the action-packed slugfest.