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TALKIN BOXIN
by Howie Reed
February 29, 2004
NEXT week there are five world championship fights
held on Saturday Night somewhere. They range from a
double dipper in Japan with Oscar Larios (51-3-1)
defending his WBC jr. feather belt against Shigeru
Nakazato (24-6) and Veeraphol Sahaprom (41-1-2) giving Toshiaki Nishioka
(23-3-3) another shot at his WBC Bantamweight belt. This is number 4. In
Glasgow, Scott Harrison (20-2-1) defends his WBO feather belt against late
replacement Walter Estrada (26-2,18KOs) of Columbia. Harrison’s original
opponent William Abeylan (23-4-1) got a case of the “I don wanna be there’s”
so pulled out. Little inside boxing here. I was told by someone that once
fought Harrison that he suspected that “he was on something”. In Buenos
Aires, Omar Narvaez (15-0-2) and Jose Araiza (23-1-1) will go at it for
Omar’s WBO Flyweight belt. The last of the title fights is Mark “Too Sharp”
Johnson
(42-3)-Luis Bolano (38-0) for the WBO jr. bantam
title. Guess what it all means ? Besides the fact
that the WBO really puts some money in the bank by
sanctioning three title fights in one week. Nada,
zero, zip in the real world of boxing. The really big
fight, for no title, of the weekend is featured on
Showtime’s First Saturday of the Month card. “ From
The Foxwoods Casino, Mashantucket, CT Joel
Casamayor (30-1) vs. Diego Corrales (37-2) THE
REMATCH”
Yea Johnson-Bolano’s could be a sleeper. Bolano has
28Ko’s from 30 wins but none have come while fighting
in the USA or against any name a boxing fan would
know. It’s Casamayor-Corrales that has to get the old
adrenaline going if you’re a fight fan. Their first
meeting, on the undercard of Toney-Holyfield, was a
barn burner. Many changes since that night in October
when Ring Doctor Margaret Goodman stopped the fight
due to “life threatening cuts inside Corrales mouth.”
(Dr. Goodman was removed as the Ring Doctor for the
Morales-Chavez fight on Saturday night.) Corrales was
pushed off the good ship Kenny “My Way or the Highway” Adams when his
management decided that he should travel to train with Sharmbra Mitchell.
Adams said, “I ain’t going.” Then Casamayor changed trainers from Joe
Goossen to James “Buddy” McGirk. Corrales then hooked up with Goossen.
Here’s a little secret that no one has every printed.
You got to promise not to tell anyone. Senior Corrales
has a very bad temper that gets him into big trouble.
He spent time in the Gray Bar Inn after the Mayweather fight being convicted
of beating his pregnant wife. Any time you can make a fighter mad in
the ring the chances are pretty good you can win. Before the first fight
then trainer Adams worked with Diego in an effort to keep his cool. To stay
within himself. As the two fighters faced each other before the bell,
Casamayor look at Corrales, stuck out his tongue while adjusting his
protector. Corrales lost it and was
never in the fight. Will it happen again ? If was a
betting man I’d bet the ranch on Casamayor.
CASAMAYOR-Corrales will have to cover some ground to keep up with the truly
good fight last Saturday night
from Las Vegas between Jesus Chavez (40-3) vs. Erik
Morales (46-1) for the WBC Jr. Lightweight belt.
Morales got a unanimous decision which was not as easyas it appeared. The
scoring was somewhat questionable at 118-108,117-109 with only England’s
John Keane getting close at 115-112. The correct score was the 116-111 by
Talkin Boxin’s resident expert. Chavez easily won the first with an
aggressive style that belied is usual slow start. It looked like the second
would be an instant replay of the first when Morales connected with a left
that send Chavez to the canvas. He had no trouble beating the count
administered by referee Vic Drakulich. The second knockdown of the round
came on a body punch with Chavez beating the count again. In fighting back
in that round Chavez tossed a hard right to the body which tore shoulder
muscles and rendered his right useless. Chavez had to postpone his last
fight for the same reason. Morales got another title but still there should
some question if he can handle the “really” big hitters in the division like
Diego Coralles or the skill of
Casamayor. Jury still out. (Excerpt of article)
LAST Saturday night on HBO would have been memorable,
regardless of the fight, as it was the last fight that
George Foreman would do as HBO fight guy. He’s retied
from the announce duties for what ever reasons the
Reverend deems important. One thing about George
Foreman he has always conducted himself with class.
What ever he does in the future he will be missed.
Here is someone that left the ring and did it with
class. The same can’t be said for Larry Holmes. He
didn’t show all that much class when he was the champ
and even less since then. Holmes must be driven by
demons that make him open his mouth uttering drivel
making himself look even more foolish than his critics
think. “What started this tirade ?”
Kevin Iole writing in the Las Vegas RJ headlined a
story “Foreman afraid of Holmes.” What a load of crap.
Here’s some more wit and wisdom from the mouth of Mr.
Holmes. “He called the popular Foreman, who made a
post-boxing fortune hawking his cooking grills, a
"total fraud who is the opposite of the nice guy he
pretends to be.” Foreman tries to make fools out of
people, Holmes said, and won't enter a situation that
he can't completely control. He said that's one of the
reasons Foreman won't fight him. “I don't think
George Foreman was ever a great fighter," said Holmes,
who had a 7 1/2-year reign as heavyweight champion.
"He was a good puncher and that's how he got to be in
the position he's in. He's always hand-picked his
opponents, and if you notice, he never hand-picked
me.”
OK. Enough is enough. George Foreman was active from
1969-1977 the first time. During that period he KO’d
Joe Frazier (29-0 the first time) twice, Kenny Norton
(30-2) and Ron Lyle (31-3) once. He lost two fights.
One to Ali and a decision to Jimmy Young in 1977 that
was voted the fight of the year. What was “Big Mouth”
Larry Holmes doing during this period ? Playing
sparing partner to Ali. Homes didn’t have his first
pro fight until 1973. By 1977 he had a record of 24-0
with 18Ko’s. Impressive ? Only if you’re impressed by
Fred Askew(15-12), Joe Gholston (15-9), Billy Joiner
(10-10), Leon Shaw (8-9), Rodney Bobick (34-5),
Charleis James (5-5), Obie English (15-5) or Charlie
Green (14-14) Then to help Mr.Holmes with his history
Foreman retired and didn’t come back until 1987..That
was a year plus after Holmes had lost his heavyweight
title to lightweight Michael Spinks. He would then get
Ko’d by Tyson. How can you take anyone seriously when
they lose to the now retired Brian “The Danish
Creampuff” Nielsen. Holmes last win ? The “Bean” as in
Butterbean. Enough already. Holmes wants to be loved
but made that impossible with his mouth that usually
runs without his brain in gear. From “Marciano can’t
carry my jockstrap” to “Foreman’s afraid of me” Larry
Holmes has been consistent. A CPA.
Clearly Holmes craves the limelight. He’s boxing’
answer to Rosy O’Donnell the fading “legend in her own
mind”. They are a lot alike. They both had their
moments of fame. Then the public lost interest. I’m of
the opinion that after Rosy correctly identified Woody
Allen as a pedophile due to his incestuous
relationship with his step daughter Moo Shoe Gai Pan,
she was on the slippery slope to “who ?” Although her
“If you’re at a dinner party with OJ, hide the steak
knives”, isn’t bad... Right now it’s a toss up what is
more grating Rosy, Larry or the Quiznos commercials.
All three are like the 500 pound gorillas, with all
apologies to friends of Jane Goodall, that show up for
Thanksgiving dinner without an invite and won’t go
away.
Foreman has said that if he does fight it won’t be
either Mike Tyson or Holmes. The opinion is that such
a fight would be viewed as the “circus” it would be
"That's because he knows I'd whip his fat butt all
around the ring. It don't matter if he loses 400
pounds or gains 400, he can't beat me. He was
heavyweight champion for what, seven months? Come on!
The guy is a con artist and it's time people stopped
being fooled by his (nonsense)." The last time Larry
made an significant impact in a ring in Vegas was when he lost and stood in
his corner “spewing matter” like the fountains that front the Venetian
Hotel/Casino.
Longtime Foreman friend Bill Caplan said of Foremen,
“He’ll simply laugh it off. Larry wants a payday and
he knows George would mean a great payday for him."
All the quotes here come from the Kevin Iole story. In
fairness I should report that Good Guy Kevin is from
the Pittsburgh so probably views Larry Holmes as one
of the home boys. (Excerpt of article)
(Opinions and editorials of
HotBoxingNews.com is the opinion of those writers and may not be the
opinion of HotBoxingNews.com)
Want to make contact or comments to Howie Reed
Go Here! mailto:reed@hotboxingnews.com
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