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Team
Klitschko Looking for Excuses (Again)? Demand fight gloves be weighed
(SEPT 24) In what New Jersey State Athletic Commissioner Larry Hazzard
described as a “new level of dumb,” in boxing, Team Wladimir Klitschko
demanded that the boxing gloves to be used tomorrow night, when the
former WBO champion faces Samuel Peter at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic
City, be weighed to ensure they are the regulation 10 ounces.
According to Hazzard, he was contacted by Klitschko “boxing adviser”
Shelly Finkel, public relations advisor Bernd Bonte and K-2 Promotions
coordinator Burt Watson and told that Klitschko’s camp would be bringing
a small scale to today’s undercard weigh-in (the main event weigh-in was
held yesterday) to ensure there was nothing irregular about the weight
of either fighter’s gloves…an implication that enraged glove
manufacturer Grant Elvis Phillips.
“If I said it didn’t bother me, I’d be lying. This one here crosses the
line with me. I take it personally. For someone to insinuate that we
would favor someone is pretty offensive. It shows zero confidence on the
part of Klitschko’s people. I only had one other experience like this
when Roy Jones fought John Ruiz. Roy had custom brown gloves and John
Ruiz had black. (Ruiz manager) Stony (Stone) started a whole thing about
the gloves and got punched in his face for it. Unfortunately, the same
thing didn’t happen to Bernd Bonte tonight.”
When informed of this highly irregular request, Peter manager Ivaylo
Gotzev says he was mildly amused. “The problem is not the gloves,” he
explained. “What they should be worried about is what’s in them: a left
and a right hand from Samuel, and it’s too late for them to stop that
now.”
“Both camps agreed on the Grant gloves,” added event promoter, Dino Duva.
“They are sealed at the factory and were opened in front of them at the
weigh-in. After the weigh-in, the commission kept the gloves, so I
haven’t even seen them.”
This is not the first time Team Wladimir has suspected wrongdoing. After
his last defeat (a TKO 5 to Lamon Brewster), the Ukrainian and his
people leveled accusations of deliberate poisoning and overly vasolined
legs to explain the loss.
“There is dumb sh** in boxing all the time,” concluded an obviously
annoyed Hazzard, “but this is definitely a first for me.”
Peter vs. Klitschko is presented by Duva Boxing, K-2 Promotions, and Top
Rank; in association with Caesars Atlantic City and will be televised
live on HBO’s Boxing After Dark.
