‘Kostya Tszyu’

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By now everyone has read and heard about Mike Tyson getting choked up or Sylvester Stallone declaring “Yo, Adrian! I did it!” as they gave their induction speeches this past weekend at the International Boxing Hall of Fame. It was a spectacular event and for many the highlight of the weekend, but for some of us that didn’t have the opportunity to stay for the ceremony the rest of the weekend was just as exciting.

I have been to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the past but never for their induction weekend which typically falls on the same weekend as the Puerto Rican Day parade in New York City. In past years I always seemed to be booked covering a Miguel Cotto fight at Madison Square Garden on the eve of the parade.

This year provided the perfect opportunity to attend. A high profile list of inductees that included Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez, Kostya Tszyu, Nacho Beristain, Joe Cortez, Sylvester Stallone and no major boxing events to cover paved the way for my first induction weekend.

The weekend begins on Thursday and runs through Sunday. Thursday through Saturday include a variety of events such as ringside lectures, celebrity workouts, fist casting ceremony, 5K run, golf outing, boxing autograph card show, dinners and other special events all of which are complete with several opportunities to meet current and retired boxers. The weekend ends on Sunday, beginning with a parade which includes all the attending boxing celebrities and finishes with the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

My plan was to arrive Thursday evening and attend events all day on Friday and Saturday. I went into the weekend knowing I would be missing the highlight of the weekend by not being able to stay through Sunday. Although I was a bit disappointed to not have that opportunity, my feelings were quickly dismissed after experiencing all the events on Friday and Saturday. More...

Nearly 10 years after losing his IBF light welter title against Kostya Tszyu, Zab Judah put on an impressive performance Saturday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ to once again put the red and gold belt around his waist.

The New York southpaw did well to keep his composure against aggressive brawler Kaiser Mabuza, never allowing the pressure put on by the South African to change his game plan.

Mabuza tried to repeat the past successes of Judah victors Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto and Carlos Baldomir but the rangy slugger didn't possess the boxing skills of those world champions and Judah did well to take advantage of that difference.

Judah was able to use his edge in quickness and solid footwork to avoid the charges of Mabuza early in the contest and getting ahead on the scorecards.

In the fourth Judah's glove touched the canvas and he was accessed a knockdown but he wasn't hurt. More...

Would you call 30,000 people watching on as fierce rivals Anthony Mundine and Danny Green box a non-event? Danny Green's achievement in getting world boxing great Roy Jones Jnr to Australia, and then knocking him out in round one, a small achievement?

The fact that Australia had two true world champions, in Kostya Tszyu and Vic Darchinyan, a let-down? No, you wouldn't, because Australian boxing in the last decade has been glorious and that is undisputed. More...

The final press conference for the July 16th Zab Judah vs. Jose Armando Santa Cruz "Brick City Boxing Series" show at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, was held at the impressive Global Boxing Gym, North Bergen, NJ. Here are quotes from the event.

Kathy Duva: "Zab Judah started his boxing career with Main Events many years ago, and he's still a very young man, just as I am very young! Zab has announced his intentions to finish his career with us." More...

There has been plenty of speculation as to where Ricky Hatton can go following his recent destruction at the hands of Manny Pacquiao.

There was a huge amount of press and fans alike that were immediately of the opinion that Hatton should retire, hang up the gloves and bow out as a former two-weight world champion and the case being that he only ever lost to the two top fighters on the planet.

The world was shocked when Hatton was floored twice in the first round by Pacquiao and put to sleep in the second, well everyone except Freddie Roach.

Most experts agreed that whilst Pacquiao would win, it would be a hard, drawn out battle of will against skill, but what we all saw was something completely different.

As Pacquiao now emerges as arguably one of the greatest fighters the Philippines have ever produced, Hatton's career seems to be in disarray.

However, there are options out there for Hatton. If he were to retire, he would be remembered for some very special nights, i.e. Kostya Tszyu, or his thrilling stoppage of Jose Luis Castillo and some incredibly gutsy performances on a domestic level like when he out-boxed Jon Thaxton.

These were the sort of nights that secured Ricky his huge crowds, for he was never a brash, loud and arrogant fighter like Floyd Mayweather Jr, nor was he the go in, get the job done Terminator-esque typle like Miguel Cotto.

Here was a man who fought with his heart on his sleeve and a nation behind him. Moreover, the best part of all is that when the night was through, you could find the bar he was in and actually ask him how he felt the fight went over a beer! More...